title: Mice lacking Plexin-B3 display normal CNS morphology and behaviour.
abstract: Semaphorins and their receptors, plexins, have emerged as important regulators of a multitude of biological processes. Plexin-B3 has been shown to be selectively expressed in postnatal oligodendrocytes. In contrast to the well-characterized Plexin-A family and the Plexin-B family members Plexin-B1 and -B2, no data are available on the functional role of Plexin-B3 in the central nervous system in vivo. Here we have elucidated the functional significance of Plexin-B3 by generating and analyzing constitutive knock-out mice. Plexin-B3-deficient mice were found to be viable and fertile. A systematic histological analysis revealed no morphological defects in the brain or spinal cord of mutant animals. In detailed behavioural analyses of locomotor activity, motor coordination, motor learning, and anxiety levels Plexin-B3-deficient mice were indistinguishable from wild-type controls. Thus we conclude that under physiological conditions Plexin-B3 is not essential for the development and function of the central nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pharmacology, Im Neuenheimer Feld 366, University of Heidelberg, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany. thomas.worzfeld@mpi-bn.mpg.de
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Worzfeld
authors.forename: Philipp
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rauch
authors.forename: Khalad
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Karram
authors.forename: Jacqueline
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Trotter
authors.forename: Rohini
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kuner
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Offermanns
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; C531216:plexin B3 protein, mouse