Cre-activation in ErbB4-positive neurons of floxed Grin1/NMDA receptor mice is not associated with major behavioral impairment
Extensive evidence suggests a dysfunction of the glutamate NMDA receptor (NMDAR) in schizophrenia, a severe psychiatric disorder with putative early neurodevelopmental origins, but clinical onset mainly during late adolescence. On the other hand, pharmacological models using NMDAR antagonists and th...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article (Journal) |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
25 November 2021
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| In: |
Frontiers in psychiatry
Year: 2021, Volume: 12, Pages: 1-11 |
| ISSN: | 1664-0640 |
| DOI: | 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.750106 |
| Online Access: | Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.750106 Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.750106/full 
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| Author Notes: | Anne S. Mallien, Natascha Pfeiffer, Miriam A. Vogt, Sabine Chourbaji, Rolf Sprengel, Peter Gass and Dragos Inta |
| Summary: | Extensive evidence suggests a dysfunction of the glutamate NMDA receptor (NMDAR) in schizophrenia, a severe psychiatric disorder with putative early neurodevelopmental origins, but clinical onset mainly during late adolescence. On the other hand, pharmacological models using NMDAR antagonists and the clinical manifestation of anti-NMDAR encephalitis indicate that NMDAR blockade/hypofunction can trigger psychosis also at adult stages, without any early developmental dysfunction. Previous genetic models of NMDAR hypofunction restricted to parvalbumin-positive interneurons indicate the necessity of an early postnatal impairment to trigger schizophrenia-like abnormalities, whereas the cellular substrates of NMDAR-mediated psychosis at adolescent/adult stages are unknown. Neuregulin 1 (NRG1) and its receptor ErbB4 represent schizophrenia-associated susceptibility factors that closely interact with NMDAR. To determine the neuronal populations implicated in “late” NMDAR-driven psychosis, we analyzed the effect of the inducible ablation of NMDARs in ErbB4-expressing cells in mice during late adolescence using a pharmacogenetic approach. Interestingly, the tamoxifen-inducible NMDAR deletion during this late developmental stage did not induce behavioral alterations resembling depression, schizophrenia or anxiety. Our data indicate that post-adolescent NMDAR deletion, even in a wider cell population than parvalbumin-positive interneurons, is also not sufficient to generate behavioral abnormalities resembling psychiatric disorders. Other neuronal substrates that have to be revealed by future studies, may underlie post-adolescent NMDAR-driven psychosis. |
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| Item Description: | Gesehen am 16.12.2021 |
| Physical Description: | Online Resource |
| ISSN: | 1664-0640 |
| DOI: | 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.750106 |