Effects of Pharmacologic and Genetic Inhibition of Alk on Cognitive Impairments in NF1 Mutant Mice
Abstract
We studied the expression of Alk and the effects of Alk mutations on learning and memory in mice. Concordant with studies in flies, we found enhanced retention of spatial memory in Alk mutant mice. Retention of spatial memory is a hippocampal dependent function. We also demonstrated expression of Alk throughout the adult murine hippocampus. The behavioral phenotype of Alk mutant mice is the opposite of the behavioral phenotype of Nf1 mutant mice. We hypothesize that the genetic interaction between Alk and Nf1 in mice is similar to the behavioral phenotypes of Alk and Nf1 mutations in flies and that pharmacologic or genetic inhibition of Alk in Nf1 mutant mice will attenuate or even rescue learning impairments in mice. This project involves a complicated breeding scheme. After fulfilling all the institutional guidelines and months of effort to generate mice for us, we only received 2 male NF1+/- mice on the 129 background on 10/09/2013 and 4 male and 3 female Alk KO mice on the C57BL/6J background on 9/25/2013. Therefore, we have put all our energy on generating breeder mice and experimental mice for this project. It is going extremely well; soon we will start the first experiment for this project.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2014
- Accession Number
- ADA606392
Entities
People
- Jacob Raber
- Tessa Marzulla
Organizations
- Oregon Health & Science University