title: Abnormal social behavior in nicotinic acetylcholine receptor β4 subunit-null mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tobacco addiction has a strong social component. Therefore, nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChR) may influence social behavior. Because the β4 nicotinic receptor subunit is important for possibly related behaviors, such as anxiety-like behavior and the effects of nicotine, we studied the social behavior of mice null for the β4 nAChR subunit.
  
  
  METHODS
  To measure social behavior, we used the intruder test for social memory in wild-type and littermate β4 null mice. In addition, we used a nonsocial olfactory memory test as a control.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the intruder test, β4 null mice showed social amnesia: Wild-type mice spent less time actively interacting with a younger intruder on Day 2 than on Day 1, but β4 null mice interacted for a similar time on both days. In the nonsocial olfactory memory test, control littermates and β4 null mice learnt the associations to a similar extent, showing that the amnesic phenotype in the intruder test is specific for social settings.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that nAChRs that contain the β4 subunit are important for social behaviors. As those receptors are necessary to observe several effects of nicotine including withdrawal, it is tempting to speculate that the social component of tobacco use is related to the same neuronal circuits responsible for continuing tobacco use in smokers.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Ramiro
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Salas
authors.forename: Beryl
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fung
authors.forename: Renea
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sturm
authors.forename: Mariella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Biasi
mesh_terms: D000647:Amnesia; D000818:Animals; D001007:Anxiety / Q000235:genetics; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D012903:Smell / Q000235:genetics; D012919:Social Behavior
chemical_list: C486720:Chrnb4 protein, mouse; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic