| Abstract No.: | B-G2202 |
| Country: | Canada |
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| Title: | ALTERED BEHAVIOUR IN T CELL RECEPTOR MUTANT MICE |
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| Authors/Affiliations: | 1 Kelly C Rilett*; 1 Karen-Anne Neufeld; 1 Robyn N MacKenzie; 1 Jane A Foster;
1 McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.
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| Content: | Immune-brain communication early in development is important to CNS development and may influence vulnerabiltity to disease in human populations. Our lab utilizes behavioural and molecular tools to understand how these interactions alter the trajectory of CNS development. Previous work in our laboratory has shown that mice reared without commensal intestinal microflora (germ-free) have an altered behavioural phenotype that includes a basal reduction in anxiety-like behaviour and basal deficit in contextual learning. Since these mice lack a fully functional adaptive immune system, it is possible that immune-brain communication related to this arm of the immune system is involved in the development of anxiety-like behaviour and learning. In the current study, we examined these same behaviours in adult mice deficient in the beta and delta T Cell Receptor chains (β-/-δ-/- TCR) compared to wild type controls (C57Bl/6). The behavioural outcomes included exploratory behaviour (open field), anxiety-like behaviour (light/dark and EPM), associative learning (auditory fear conditioning), and spatial memory (Morris Water Maze). The β-/-δ-/- TCR mice demonstrated a significant increase in exploratory behaviour in the open field and decreased anxiety-like behaviour in both the light/dark and EPM. Analyses of associative and spatial learning are underway. These data suggest that immune-brain interaction involving T cells during early development may contribute to the development of anxiety-like behaviour in the adult mouse. |
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