Effects of <i>Stathmin 1</i> Gene Knockout on Behaviors and Dopaminergic Markers in Mice Exposed to Social Defeat Stress

• Main Authors: Thong Ba Nguyen, Vishwanath Vasudev Prabhu, Yan Hong Piao, Young Eun Oh, Rami Fatima Zahra, Young-Chul Chung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2019-08-01
• Series: Brain Sciences
• Subjects: Stathmin 1; social defeat stress; novelty object recognition test; social interaction; D2 receptor isoforms; DARPP-32
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/9/9/215

Stathmin (<i>STMN</i>), a microtubule-destabilizing factor, can regulate fear, anxiety, and learning. Social defeat stress (SDS) has detrimental effects on mental health and increases the risk of various psychiatric diseases. This study investigated the effects of <i>STMN1</i> gene knockout (KO) on behavioral parameters and dopaminergic markers using an SDS mouse model. The <i>STMN1</i> KO mice showed anxious hyperactivity, impaired object recognition, and decreased levels of neutral and social investigating behaviors at baseline compared to wild-type (WT) mice. The impact of SDS on neutral, social investigating and dominant behaviors differed markedly between the <i>STMN1</i> WT and KO mice. In addition, different levels of total DARPP-32 and pDARPP-32 Thr75 expression were observed among the control, unsusceptible, and susceptible groups of <i>STMN1</i> KO mice. Our results show that <i>STMN1</i> has specific roles in locomotion, object recognition, and social interactions. Moreover, SDS had differential impacts on social interactions and dopaminergic markers between <i>STMN1</i> WT and KO mice.