title: Activation of basolateral amygdala in juvenile C57BL/6J mice during social approach behavior.
abstract: There is a strong need to better understand the neurobiology of juvenile sociability (tendency to seek social interaction), a phenotype of central relevance to autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Although numerous genetic mouse models of ASD showing reduced sociability have been reported, and certain brain regions, such as the amygdala, have been implicated in sociability, there has been little emphasis on delineating brain structures and circuits activated during social interactions in the critical juvenile period of the mouse strain that serves as the most common genetic background for these models-the highly sociable C57BL/6J (B6) strain. We measured expression of the immediate early genes Fos and Egr-1 to map activation of brain regions following the Social Approach Test (SAT) in juvenile male B6 mice. We hypothesized that juvenile B6 mice would show activation of the amygdala during social interactions. The basolateral amygdala (BLA) was activated by social exposure in highly sociable, 4-week-old B6 mice. In light of these data, and the many lines of evidence indicating alteration of amygdala circuits in human ASD, future studies are warranted to assess structural and functional alterations in the BLA, particularly at BLA synapses, in various mouse models of ASD.
authors: Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Smilow Center for Translational Research, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Building 421, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6168, USA.
authors: Sarah L
authors: SL
authors: Ferri
authors: Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA.
authors: Arati S
authors: AS
authors: Kreibich
authors: Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA.
authors: Matthew
authors: M
authors: Torre
authors: Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA.
authors: Cara T
authors: CT
authors: Piccoli
authors: Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA.
authors: Holly
authors: H
authors: Dow
authors: Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA.
authors: Ashley A
authors: AA
authors: Pallathra
authors: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 215 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021, USA.
authors: Hongzhe
authors: H
authors: Li
authors: Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 215 Blockley Hall, 423 Guardian Drive, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6021, USA.
authors: Warren B
authors: WB
authors: Bilker
authors: Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 10 Gates Pavilion, Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283, USA.
authors: Ruben C
authors: RC
authors: Gur
authors: Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Smilow Center for Translational Research, 3400 Civic Center Boulevard, Building 421, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6168, USA.
authors: Ted
authors: T
authors: Abel
authors: Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Translational Research Laboratory, 125 South 31st Street, Room 2220, Philadelphia, PA 19104-3403, USA. Electronic address: ebrodkin@mail.med.upenn.edu.
authors: Edward S
authors: ES
authors: Brodkin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000503:physiopathology; D066272:Basolateral Nuclear Complex / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D008297:Male; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D010641:Phenotype; D012919:Social Behavior
keywords: Fos; amygdala; autism; behavior; mouse model; social