Effects of a social stimulus on gene expression in a mouse model of fragile X syndrome.
Tiffany D Rogers, Allison M J Anacker, Travis M Kerr and 4 others
PMID 28649315WHAT IT FOUND
A social stimulus increased amygdala activation and altered gene expression in fragile X mice, including autism risk genes.
This is mouse work, not evidence of a treatment effect.
Key findings
01A social stimulus produced stronger staining for a neural-activity marker in the lateral and medial amygdala of fragile X mice than in other groups, but not in the prelimbic cortex.
02The main gene-expression analysis found that genes responding differently to social versus non-social stimuli in fragile X versus wildtype mice overlapped with autism candidate genes in the lateral and medial amygdala.
03Three genes were differentially expressed in the combined genotype and stimulus analysis in all three brain regions: Th, Kremen1, and Epsin3.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they found
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What it does not show
The study was done in mice, not people, and did not test therapy, social communication, or clinical outcomes. The groups were small, with 16 mice for brain activity and 36 mice for gene expression. The RNA sequencing showed moderate variability, and one medial amygdala sample was excluded. Many gene and pathway findings were exploratory; after correcting for multiple testing, no pathways in the lateral amygdala or prefrontal cortex remained significant. The social stimulus was placed in the home cage, so territorial reactions may have affected the response. Staining intensity and cell counts did not always give the same result, so the exact biological meaning is uncertain.
Declared interests
The work was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health. The supplied text does not report author conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that social exposure can treat fragile X syndrome or autism. The study was in mice, measured brain activity and gene expression, and did not test a therapy or human clinical outcome.