Journal
JOURNAL OF NEUROSCIENCE
Volume 38, Issue 4, Pages 918-936Publisher
SOC NEUROSCIENCE
DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1305-17.2017
Keywords
autism; mouse; NMDA; Pitt-Hopkins syndrome; schizophrenia; TCF4
Categories
Funding
- Pitt-Hopkins Research Foundation
- University of Pennsylvania Orphan Disease Center Million Dollar Bike Ride [MDBR-15-108-PH]
- Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (NARSAD Young Investigator Grant) [20653]
- National Institute of General Medical Sciences (Training, Workforce Development and Diversity Grant) [K12GM000678]
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke [P30NS045892]
- Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) [U54HD79124]
- NICHD [U54HD079124]
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Mutations or deletions of the transcription factor TCF4 are linked to Pitt-Hopkins syndrome (PTHS) and schizophrenia, suggesting that the precise pathogenic mutations dictate cellular, synaptic, and behavioral consequences. Here, we generated two novel mouse models of PTHS, one that mimics the most common pathogenic TCF4 point mutation (human R580W, mouse R579W) and one that deletes three pathogenic arginines, and explored phenotypes of these lines alongside models of pan-cellular or CNS-specific heterozygous Tcf4 disruption. We used mice of both sexes to show that impaired Tcf4 function results in consistent microcephaly, hyperactivity, reduced anxiety, and deficient spatial learning. All four PTHS mouse models demonstrated exaggerated hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP), consistent with deficits in hippocampus-mediated behaviors. We further examined R579W mutant mice and mice with pancellular Tcf4 heterozygosity and found that they exhibited hippocampalNMDAreceptor hyperfunction, which likely drives the enhanced LTP. Together, our data pinpoint convergent neurobiological features in PTHS mouse models and provide a foundation for preclinical studies and a rationale for testing whether NMDAR antagonists might be used to treat PTHS.
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