Using a New Conditional Knock-out Mouse Model to Investigate Novel Calcium Signaling Pathways in the Brain

Using a New Conditional Knock-out Mouse Model to Investigate Novel Calcium Signaling Pathways in the Brain

Presenter(s)

Aikaterini Britzolaki, Ben Klocke

Comments

Presentation: 9:00 a.m.-10:15 a.m., Kennedy Union Ballroom

Description

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects over 8% of individuals in the US, according to the NIH. In addition to impaired attention and locomotor hyperactivity, symptoms often include enhanced impulsivity and memory deficits. The etiology of ADHD is elusive, but one proposed mechanism behind this and many other brain disorders is the dysregulation of intracellular calcium (Ca2+) homeostasis. Ca2+ is a critical second messenger for a constellation of cellular processes, including cell proliferation and death, metabolism, and gene expression. Naturally, neuronal Ca2+ signaling is vital in processes such as long-term potentiation (LTP) and synaptic transmission, among others. Interestingly, our lab has identified a new calcium-handling regulator to be expressed in the mouse brain, and that global genetic ablation of this gene in mice results in the manifestation of an ADHD-like behavioral phenotype. Our lab has recently generated a novel conditional knockout (cKO) mouse model of this gene, that also exhibits locomotor hyperactivity, a cardinal ADHD-like behavior. Further, we have employed the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5-CSRTT), a state-of-the-art behavioral paradigm to assess attentional capacity and impulsivity, two other core symptoms of ADHD. Interestingly, preliminary data from our lab show that the cKO mice exhibit impaired attention in this paradigm. Altogether, these findings strongly support a novel role for this gene in the manifestation of ADHD-like behaviors.

Publication Date

4-20-2022

Project Designation

Graduate Research

Primary Advisor

Pothitos Pitychoutis

Primary Advisor's Department

Biology

Keywords

Stander Symposium project, College of Arts and Sciences

United Nations Sustainable Development Goals

Good Health and Well-Being

Using a New Conditional Knock-out Mouse Model to Investigate Novel Calcium Signaling Pathways in the Brain

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