Improved rotorod performance and hyperactivity in mice deficient in a protein repair methyltransferase

Behavioural Brain Research
Ryan Vitali, S Clarke

Abstract

The protein L-isoaspartate (D-aspartate)-O-methyltransferase participates in the repair of age-induced protein damage by initiating the conversion of abnormal aspartyl residues within proteins to normal L-aspartyl residues. Previous studies have shown that mice deficient in the gene encoding this enzyme (Pcmt1-/-) accumulate damaged proteins, have altered levels of brain S-adenosylmethionine (AdoMet) and S-adenosylhomocysteine (AdoHcy), and suffer from epileptic seizures that result in death at an average age of about 42 days. In this study, we found that the behavior of Pcmt1-/- mice is abnormal in comparison to their wild-type (Pcmt1+/+) and heterozygous (Pcmt1+/-) littermates in two standard quantitative behavioral assays - the accelerating rotorod and the open-field test. On the accelerating rotorod, we found Pcmt1-/- mice actually perform significantly better than their heterozygous and wild-type littermates, a situation that has only been infrequently described in the literature and has not been described to date for epilepsy-prone mice. The Pcmt1-/- mice show, however, hyperactivity in the open-field test that becomes more pronounced with age, with a partial habituation with time in the chamber. Additionally, these mice ...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jan 9, 2009·Journal of Comparative Physiology. B, Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology·Dieter BlottnerMarc Jamon
Apr 19, 2011·Journal of Neuro-oncology·Amulya A Nageswara RaoCynthia Wetmore
Feb 5, 2016·Molecular Neurobiology·Romana BohuslavovaGabriela Pavlinkova
Feb 9, 2010·Physiology & Behavior·Pasquale Mignogna, Davide Viggiano
Dec 25, 2019·Journal of Neuroscience Research·Adele Mossa, M Chiara Manzini
Aug 19, 2021·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·Francesca LonghenaArianna Bellucci

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