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Li S, Jiang Y, Zhang L, Yan W, Wei D, Zhang M, Zhu B, Chen T, Wang X, Zhang Z, Su Y. A New Mouse Model for Usher Syndrome Crossing Kunming Mice with CBA/J Mice. Gene 2024; 922:148562. [PMID: 38754567 DOI: 10.1016/j.gene.2024.148562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2023] [Revised: 04/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/13/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previously, we discovered a strain of Kunming mice, referred to as the KMush/ush strain, that exhibited notably abnormal electroretinogram (ERG) readings and elevated thresholds for auditory brainstem responses (ABRs), which resembled the characteristics of Usher Syndrome (USH). We successfully identified the pathogenic genes, Pde6b and Adgrv1, after KMush/ush crossbred with CBA/CaJ mice, referred to as CBA-1ush/ush, CBA-2ush/ush or CBA-2ush/ush. In this investigation, we crossbred KMush/ush and CBA/J mice to establish novel recombinant inbred lines and analysed their phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. METHODS ERG readings, ABR testing, fundus morphology, histological examination of the retina and inner ear, reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) analysis, western blotting, DNA sequence analysis and behavioural experiments were performed to assess the phenotypes and genotypes of the progeny lines. RESULTS No obvious waveforms in the ERG were detected in F1 hybrid mice while normal ABR results were recorded. The F2 hybrids, which were called J1ush/ush or J2ush/ush, exhibited segregated hearing-loss phenotypes. J1ush/ush mice had a retinitis pigmentosa (RP) phenotype with elevated ABR thresholds, whereas J2ush/ush mice exhibited only the RP phenotype. Interestingly, J1ush/ush mice showed significantly higher ABR thresholds than wild-type mice at 28 days post born (P28), and RT-qPCR and DNA-sequencing analysis showed that Adgrv1 gene expression was significantly altered in J1ush/ush mice, but histological analysis showed no significant structural changes in the organ of Corti or spiral ganglia. Further elevation of ABR-related hearing thresholds by P56 manifested only as a reduced density of spiral ganglion cells, which differed significantly from the previous pattern of cochlear alterations in CBA-2ush/ush mice. CONCLUSIONS We successfully introduced the hearing-loss phenotype of inbred mice with USH into CBA/J mice, which provides a good animal model for future studies on the important physiological roles of the Adgrv1 gene in inner-ear structure and for therapeutic studies targeting Adgrv1-mutated USH.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoheng Li
- Center of Clinical Aerospace Medicine, School of Aerospace Medicine, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China; Department of Ophthalmology, Eye Institute of Chinese PLA, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Yihong Jiang
- Center of Clinical Aerospace Medicine, School of Aerospace Medicine, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Lei Zhang
- Shaanxi Eye Hospital, Xi'an People's Hospital (Xi'an Fourth Hospital), Xi'an 710004, Shaanxi Province, China
| | - Weiming Yan
- The 900th Hospital of Joint Logistic Support Force, PLA, Fuzhou 350000, China
| | - Dongyu Wei
- Center of Clinical Aerospace Medicine, School of Aerospace Medicine, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Min Zhang
- Center of Clinical Aerospace Medicine, School of Aerospace Medicine, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Bin Zhu
- Outpatient Department, General Hospital of Xizang Military Region, Lhasa 850007, China
| | - Tao Chen
- Center of Clinical Aerospace Medicine, School of Aerospace Medicine, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China; Department of Aviation Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China
| | - Xiaocheng Wang
- Center of Clinical Aerospace Medicine, School of Aerospace Medicine, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China; Department of Aviation Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
| | - Zuoming Zhang
- Center of Clinical Aerospace Medicine, School of Aerospace Medicine, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
| | - Yuting Su
- Center of Clinical Aerospace Medicine, School of Aerospace Medicine, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China; Department of Aviation Medicine, Xijing Hospital, Air Force Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
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Schaeffer EA, Oltmanns JRO, Blackwell AA, Lake R, Hastings P, Whishaw IQ, Wallace DG. Application of scaling to mouse spontaneous movement: Path curvature varies with speed and linear distance features isochrony. Behav Brain Res 2024; 469:115062. [PMID: 38768689 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.115062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/17/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
To conserve sequential behavior in relation to the topographic challenges of space, it is proposed that humans and nonhuman animals can organize behavior using different scaling principles. To deal with increases in linear distance, isochrony suggest that there is a corresponding increase in speed, whereas to deal with changes in curvature, speed is adjusted according to a power function. The present study investigates whether these principles provide a framework for describing the organization of mouse behavior in a variety of standard experimental tasks. The structure of movement was examined in ambulation during open field exploration; manipulation in a string-pulling task, in which a string is advanced hand over hand to retrieve food; and rung-walking, in which the limbs successively step from rung to rung on a horizontal ladder. Both principles were found to be conserved in the organization of mouse behavior across scales of movement. These principles provide novel measures of the temporal and geometric features of movement in the mouse and insights into how the temporal and geometric features of movement are conserved within different species.
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Affiliation(s)
- E A Schaeffer
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA.
| | | | - A A Blackwell
- Department of Psychology, University of Nevada, Las Vagas NV, USA
| | - R Lake
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
| | - P Hastings
- School of Computing, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - I Q Whishaw
- Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
| | - D G Wallace
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL, USA
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Hagbi Z, Segev E, Eilam D. Tactile cues compensate for unbalanced vestibular cues during progression on inclined surfaces. Behav Processes 2024; 218:105041. [PMID: 38692460 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
A previous study demonstrated that rodents on an inclined square platform traveled straight vertically or horizontally and avoided diagonal travel. Through behavior they aligned their head with the horizontal plane, acquiring similar bilateral vestibular cues - a basic requirement for spatial orientation and a salient feature of animals in motion. This behavior had previously been shown to be conspicuous in Tristram's jirds. Here, therefore jirds were challenged by testing their travel behavior on a circular arena inclined at 0°-75°. Our hypothesis was that if, as typical to rodents, the jirds would follow the curved arena wall, they would need to display a compensating mechanism to enable traveling in such a path shape, which involves a tilted frontal head axis and unbalanced bilateral vestibular cues. We found that with the increase in inclination, the jirds remained more in the lower section of the arena (geotaxis). When tested on the steep inclinations, however, their travel away from the arena wall was strictly straight up or down, in contrast to the curved paths that followed the circular arena wall. We suggest that traveling along a circular path while maintaining contact with the wall (thigmotaxis), provided tactile information that compensated for the unbalanced bilateral vestibular cues present when traveling along such curved inclined paths. In the latter case, the frontal plane of the head was in a diagonal posture in relation to gravity, a posture that was avoided when traveling away from the wall.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohar Hagbi
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA; School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.
| | - Elad Segev
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Holon Institute of Technology, Holon, Israel
| | - David Eilam
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
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Mowery TM, Wackym PA, Nacipucha J, Dangcil E, Stadler RD, Tucker A, Carayannopoulos NL, Beshy MA, Hong SS, Yao JD. Superior semicircular canal dehiscence and subsequent closure induces reversible impaired decision-making. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1259030. [PMID: 37905188 PMCID: PMC10613502 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1259030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Vestibular loss and dysfunction has been associated with cognitive deficits, decreased spatial navigation, spatial memory, visuospatial ability, attention, executive function, and processing speed among others. Superior semicircular canal dehiscence (SSCD) is a vestibular-cochlear disorder in humans in which a pathological third mobile window of the otic capsule creates changes to the flow of sound pressure energy through the perilymph/endolymph. The primary symptoms include sound-induced dizziness/vertigo, inner ear conductive hearing loss, autophony, headaches, and visual problems; however, individuals also experience measurable deficits in basic decision-making, short-term memory, concentration, spatial cognition, and depression. These suggest central mechanisms of impairment are associated with vestibular disorders; therefore, we directly tested this hypothesis using both an auditory and visual decision-making task of varying difficulty levels in our model of SSCD. Methods Adult Mongolian gerbils (n = 33) were trained on one of four versions of a Go-NoGo stimulus presentation rate discrimination task that included standard ("easy") or more difficult ("hard") auditory and visual stimuli. After 10 days of training, preoperative ABR and c+VEMP testing was followed by a surgical fenestration of the left superior semicircular canal. Animals with persistent circling or head tilt were excluded to minimize effects from acute vestibular injury. Testing recommenced at postoperative day 5 and continued through postoperative day 15 at which point final ABR and c+VEMP testing was carried out. Results Behavioral data (d-primes) were compared between preoperative performance (training day 8-10) and postoperative days 6-8 and 13-15. Behavioral performance was measured during the peak of SSCD induced ABR and c + VEMP impairment and the return towards baseline as the dehiscence began to resurface by osteoneogenesis. There were significant differences in behavioral performance (d-prime) and its behavioral components (Hits, Misses, False Alarms, and Correct Rejections). These changes were highly correlated with persistent deficits in c + VEMPs at the end of training (postoperative day 15). The controls demonstrated additional learning post procedure that was absent in the SSCD group. Conclusion These results suggest that aberrant asymmetric vestibular output results in decision-making impairments in these discrimination tasks and could be associated with the other cognitive impairments resulting from vestibular dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd M. Mowery
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
- Rutgers Brain Health Institute, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - P. Ashley Wackym
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
- Rutgers Brain Health Institute, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Jacqueline Nacipucha
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Evelynne Dangcil
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Ryan D. Stadler
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Aaron Tucker
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Nicolas L. Carayannopoulos
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Mina A. Beshy
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Sean S. Hong
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
| | - Justin D. Yao
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
- Rutgers Brain Health Institute, New Brunswick, NJ, United States
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Cue polarization and representation in mouse home base behaviors. Anim Cogn 2022; 26:861-883. [PMID: 36494587 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01729-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Revised: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 11/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The nature of the representation guiding spatial navigation has been investigated extensively; however, most of this work has used behavioral tasks that involved learning the location of food reward or an escape platform. In contrast, relatively few studies have focused on the spatial representation of a home base, a ubiquitous feature of open-field behavior, and its ability to be encoded relative to environmental cues. The current set of experiments investigated acquisition and retention of the location of home base establishment. In general, proximal cues anchored the position of the home base during acquisition sessions across all four experiments. Although mice established a home base during retention sessions, previous experience did not influence its position during retention sessions. These observations demonstrate that stimulus control of home base position depends on access to proximal cues. Further work is needed to determine the extent that home base establishment may provide a framework to encode goal-directed spatial behaviors.
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Hagbi Z, Segev E, Eilam D. Keep a level head to know the way ahead: How rodents travel on inclined surfaces? iScience 2022; 25:104424. [PMID: 35663016 PMCID: PMC9157226 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Revised: 04/13/2022] [Accepted: 05/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals traveling on a horizontal surface stabilize their head in relation to the substrate in order to gather spatial information and orient. What, however, do they do when traveling on an incline? We examined how three rodent species differing in motor abilities and habitats explore a platform tilted at 0–90°, hypothesizing that they would attempt to maintain bilateral vestibular cues. We found that traveling up or down was mainly straight vertically rather than diagonally, which results in identical bilateral vestibular cues. This was also achieved when traveling horizontally through rotating the head to parallel the horizontal plane. Traveling diagonally up or down was avoided, perhaps due to different bilateral vestibular cues that could hinder orientation. Accordingly, we suggest that maintaining identical bilateral cues is an orientational necessity that overrides differences in motor abilities and habitats, and that this necessity is a general characteristic of animals in motion. Three rodent species were tested on a platform inclined at 0°–90° Increased inclination results in traveling straight vertically or horizontally Both these shapes of trajectories feature a horizontal leveled head We suggest that such posture is required for spatial orientation when in motion
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Affiliation(s)
- Zohar Hagbi
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
| | - Elad Segev
- Department of Applied Mathematics, Holon Institute of Technology, Holon, Israel
| | - David Eilam
- School of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Israel
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Osterlund Oltmanns JR, Schaeffer EA, Goncalves Garcia M, Donaldson TN, Acosta G, Sanchez LM, Davies S, Savage DD, Wallace DG, Clark BJ. Sexually dimorphic organization of open field behavior following moderate prenatal alcohol exposure. Alcohol Clin Exp Res 2022; 46:861-875. [PMID: 35315075 PMCID: PMC9117438 DOI: 10.1111/acer.14813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) can produce deficits in a wide range of cognitive functions but is especially detrimental to behaviors requiring accurate spatial information processing. In open field environments, spatial behavior is organized such that animals establish "home bases" marked by long stops focused around one location. Progressions away from the home base are circuitous and slow, while progressions directed toward the home base are non-circuitous and fast. The impact of PAE on the organization of open field behavior has not been experimentally investigated. METHODS In the present study, adult female and male rats with moderate PAE or saccharin exposure locomoted a circular high walled open field for 30 minutes under lighted conditions. RESULTS The findings indicate that PAE and sex influence the organization of open field behavior. Consistent with previous literature, PAE rats exhibited greater locomotion in the open field. Novel findings from the current study indicate that PAE and sex also impact open field measures specific to spatial orientation. While all rats established a home base on the periphery of the open field, PAE rats, particularly males, exhibited significantly less clustered home base stopping with smaller changes in heading between stops. PAE also impaired progression measures specific to distance estimation, while sex alone impacted progression measures specific to direction estimation. CONCLUSIONS These findings support the conclusion that adult male rats have an increased susceptibility to the effects of PAE on the organization of open field behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ericka A Schaeffer
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Tia N Donaldson
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Gabriela Acosta
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Lilliana M Sanchez
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Suzy Davies
- Department of Neurosciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Daniel D Savage
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.,Department of Neurosciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Douglas G Wallace
- Department of Psychology, Northern Illinois University, Dekalb, Illinois, USA
| | - Benjamin J Clark
- Department of Psychology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA.,Department of Neurosciences, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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