title: What can mice tell us about Foxp2 function?
abstract: Disruptions of the FOXP2 gene cause a rare speech and language disorder, a discovery that has opened up novel avenues for investigating the relevant neural pathways. FOXP2 shows remarkably high conservation of sequence and neural expression in diverse vertebrates, suggesting that studies in other species are useful in elucidating its functions. Here we describe how investigations of mice that carry disruptions of Foxp2 provide insights at multiple levels: molecules, cells, circuits and behaviour. Work thus far has implicated the gene in key processes including neurite outgrowth, synaptic plasticity, sensorimotor integration and motor-skill learning.
authors.affiliation: Champalimaud Neuroscience Programme, Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal.
authors.forename: Catherine A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: French
authors.affiliation: Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands. Electronic address: simon.fisher@mpi.nl.
authors.forename: Simon E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Fisher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*; D007806:Language Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051379:Mice; D009154:Mutation / Q000235:genetics*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000235:genetics; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C432918:Foxp2 protein, mouse; D012097:Repressor Proteins