A Foxp2 Mutation Implicated in Human Speech Deficits Alters Sequencing of Ultrasonic Vocalizations in Adult Male Mice.
Development of proficient spoken language skills is disrupted by mutations of theFOXP2transcription factor. A heterozygous missense mutation in the KE family causes speech apraxia, involving difficulty producing words with complex learned sequences of syllables. Manipulations in songbirds have helped to elucidate the role of this gene in vocal learning, but findings in non-human mammals have been limited or inconclusive. Here, we performed a systematic study of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) of adult male mice carrying the KE family mutation. Using novel statistical tools, we found thatFoxp2heterozygous mice did not have detectable changes in USV syllable acoustic structure, but produced shorter sequences and did not shift to more complex syntax in social contexts where wildtype animals did. Heterozygous mice also displayed a shift in the position of their rudimentary laryngeal motor cortex (LMC) layer-5 neurons. Our findings indicate that although mouse USVs are mostly innate, the underlying contributions of FoxP2 to sequencing of vocalizations are conserved with humans.
Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurham, NC, USA; Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy Chase, MD, USA.
Jonathan
J
Chabout
Department of Statistical Science, Duke University Durham, NC, USA.
Abhra
A
Sarkar
Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC, USA.
Sheel R
SR
Patel
Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC, USA.
Taylor
T
Radden
Department of Statistical Science, Duke University Durham, NC, USA.
David B
DB
Dunson
Language and Genetics Department, Max Planck Institute for PsycholinguisticsNijmegen, Netherlands; Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud UniversityNijmegen, Netherlands.
Simon E
SE
Fisher
Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical CenterDurham, NC, USA; Howard Hughes Medical InstituteChevy Chase, MD, USA; The Rockefeller UniversityNew York, NY, USA.
Erich D
ED
Jarvis
FoxP2; KE family; song; speech apraxia; syntax; ultrasonic vocalizations