Behavioral Neurogenetics
Complexity of behavior, especially social behavior, is strongly correlated with brain growth across species. Thus, another aim of our work is to better understand how genetic and environmental factors that influence the growth of the brain also influence behavior and underlying circuitry. Given the importance for evolution as well as human disorders, we are particularly interested in social behavior. We anticipate that we will gain insight into how the circuitry of social behavior normally develops by understanding how risk factors for autism and other disorders of social behavior impact this process.
Below are clips from an assay that we use to study social approach behavior in mice that have undergone genetic or environmental manipulations relevant to autism. The left clip is of a wild type or "normal " mouse, and the right clip is of a mouse that carries a mutation in Pten, a candidate susceptibility gene for autism. The preference of the mouse for interacting with a stimulus mouse (located in left chamber) is quantified during this assay.
Papers on behavioral neurogenetics:
Page DT, Kuti O and Sur M (2009) Computerized assessment of social approach behavior in mouse. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 30; 3:48 (PubMed Link)
Mao R, Page DT, Holtzman J, Merzlyak I, Kim C, Tecott LH, Janak PH, Rubenstein JLR, and Sur M (2009) Reduced conditioned fear response in mice that lack Dlx1 and show subtype-specific loss of interneurons. Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders, 1: 224-236 (PubMed Link)
Page DT, Kuti O, Prestia C and Sur M (2009) Haploinsufficiency for Pten and Serotonin transporter cooperatively influences brain size and social behavior. PNAS, 106:1989-1994 (PubMed Link)