1
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Mittal D, Mease R, Kuner T, Flor H, Kuner R, Andoh J. Data management strategy for a collaborative research center. Gigascience 2022; 12:giad049. [PMID: 37401720 PMCID: PMC10318494 DOI: 10.1093/gigascience/giad049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Revised: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The importance of effective research data management (RDM) strategies to support the generation of Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) neuroscience data grows with each advance in data acquisition techniques and research methods. To maximize the impact of diverse research strategies, multidisciplinary, large-scale neuroscience research consortia face a number of unsolved challenges in RDM. While open science principles are largely accepted, it is practically difficult for researchers to prioritize RDM over other pressing demands. The implementation of a coherent, executable RDM plan for consortia spanning animal, human, and clinical studies is becoming increasingly challenging. Here, we present an RDM strategy implemented for the Heidelberg Collaborative Research Consortium. Our consortium combines basic and clinical research in diverse populations (animals and humans) and produces highly heterogeneous and multimodal research data (e.g., neurophysiology, neuroimaging, genetics, behavior). We present a concrete strategy for initiating early-stage RDM and FAIR data generation for large-scale collaborative research consortia, with a focus on sustainable solutions that incentivize incremental RDM while respecting research-specific requirements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deepti Mittal
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Rebecca Mease
- Institute of Physiology and Pathophysiology, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Thomas Kuner
- Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, Heidelberg University, 69120 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Herta Flor
- Department of Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
| | - Rohini Kuner
- Institute of Pharmacology, Heidelberg University, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Jamila Andoh
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, Heidelberg University, 68159 Mannheim, Germany
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2
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Improved cognitive performance in trace amine-associated receptor 5 (TAAR5) knock-out mice. Sci Rep 2022; 12:14708. [PMID: 36038766 PMCID: PMC9424310 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-18924-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Trace amine-associated receptors (TAARs) are a family of G protein-coupled receptors present in mammals in the brain and several peripheral organs. Apart from its olfactory role, TAAR5 is expressed in the major limbic brain areas and regulates brain serotonin functions and emotional behaviours. However, most of its functions remain undiscovered. Given the role of serotonin and limbic regions in some aspects of cognition, we used a temporal decision-making task to unveil a possible role of TAAR5 in cognitive processes. We found that TAAR5 knock-out mice showed a generally better performance due to a reduced number of errors and displayed a greater rate of improvement at the task than WT littermates. However, task-related parameters, such as time accuracy and uncertainty have not changed significantly. Overall, we show that TAAR5 modulates specific domains of cognition, highlighting a new role in brain physiology.
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3
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Buhusi CV, Meyer AE, Oprisan SA, Buhusi M. Not All Mice Are Created Equal: Interval Timing Accuracy and Scalar Timing in 129, Swiss-Webster, and C57BL/6 Mice. TIMING & TIME PERCEPTION 2022; 11:242-262. [PMID: 37065684 PMCID: PMC10103834 DOI: 10.1163/22134468-bja10052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Many species, including humans, show both accurate timing − appropriate time estimation in the seconds to minutes range − and scalar timing − time estimation error varies linearly with estimated duration. Behavioral paradigms aimed at investigating interval timing are expected to evaluate these dissociable characteristics of timing. However, when evaluating interval timing in models of neuropsychiatric disease, researchers are confronted with a lack of adequate studies about the parent (background) strains, since accuracy and scalar timing have only been demonstrated for the C57BL/6 strain of mice (Buhusi, Aziz, Winslow, Carter, Swearingen, & Buhusi (2009) Behav. Neurosci., 123, 1102–1113). We used a peak-interval (PI) procedure with three intervals − a protocol in which other species, including humans, demonstrate accurate, scalar timing − to evaluate timing accuracy and scalar timing in three strains of mice frequently used in genetic and behavioral studies: 129, Swiss-Webster (SW), and C57BL/6. C57BL/6 mice showed accurate, scalar timing, while 129 and SW mice showed departures from accuracy and/or scalar timing. Results suggest that the genetic background/strain of the mouse is a critical variable for studies investigating interval timing in genetically engineered mice. Our study validates the PI procedure with multiple intervals as a proper technique, and the C57BL/6 strain as the most suitable genetic background to date for behavioral investigations of interval timing in genetically engineered mice modeling human disorders. In contrast, studies using mice in 129, SW, or mixed-background strains should be interpreted with caution, and thorough investigations of accuracy and scalar timing should be conducted before a less studied strain of mouse is considered for use in timing studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catalin V. Buhusi
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Abby E. Meyer
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29424, USA
| | - Sorinel A. Oprisan
- Department of Physics and Astronomy, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29424, USA
| | - Mona Buhusi
- Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
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4
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Nigri M, Åhlgren J, Wolfer DP, Voikar V. Role of Environment and Experimenter in Reproducibility of Behavioral Studies With Laboratory Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2022; 16:835444. [PMID: 35250504 PMCID: PMC8895324 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.835444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral phenotyping of mice has received a great deal of attention during the past three decades. However, there is still a pressing need to understand the variability caused by environmental and biological factors, human interference, and poorly standardized experimental protocols. The inconsistency of results is often attributed to the inter-individual difference between the experimenters and environmental conditions. The present work aims to dissect the combined influence of the experimenter and the environment on the detection of behavioral traits in two inbred strains most commonly used in behavioral genetics due to their contrasting phenotypes, the C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice. To this purpose, the elevated O-maze, the open field with object, the accelerating rotarod and the Barnes maze tests were performed by two experimenters in two diverse laboratory environments. Our findings confirm the well-characterized behavioral differences between these strains in exploratory behavior, motor performance, learning and memory. Moreover, the results demonstrate how the experimenter and the environment influence the behavioral tests with a variable-dependent effect, often with mutually exclusive contributions. In this context, our study highlights how both the experimenter and the environment can have an impact on the strain effect size without altering the direction of the conclusions. Importantly, the general agreement on the results is reached by converging evidence from multiple measures addressing the same trait. In conclusion, the present work elucidates the contribution of both the experimenter and the laboratory environment in the intricate field of reproducibility in mouse behavioral phenotyping.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martina Nigri
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
- *Correspondence: Martina Nigri,
| | - Johanna Åhlgren
- Laboratory Animal Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - David P. Wolfer
- Faculty of Medicine, Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Health Sciences and Technology, Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Vootele Voikar
- Laboratory Animal Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Vootele Voikar,
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5
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Timing behavior in genetic murine models of neurological and psychiatric diseases. Exp Brain Res 2021; 239:699-717. [PMID: 33404792 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-020-06021-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
How timing behavior is altered in different neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders is a contemporary research question. Genetic murine models (GMM) that offer high construct validity also serve as useful tools to investigate this question. But the literature on timing behavior of different GMMs largely remains to be consolidated. The current paper addresses this gap by reviewing studies that have been conducted with GMMs of neurodevelopmental (e.g. ADHD, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorder), neurodegenerative disorders (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease) as well as circadian and other mutant lines. The review focuses on those studies that specifically utilized the peak interval procedure to improve the comparability of findings both within and between different disease models. The reviewed studies revealed timing deficits that are characteristic of different disorders. Specifically, Huntington's disease models had weaker temporal control over the termination of their anticipatory responses, Alzheimer's disease models had earlier timed responses, schizophrenia models had weaker temporal control, circadian mutants had shifted timed responses consistent with shifts in the circadian periods. The differences in timing behavior were less consistent for other conditions such as attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder and mutations related to intellectual disability. We discuss the implications of these findings for the neural basis of an internal stopwatch. Finally, we make methodological recommendations for future research for improving the comparability of the timing behavior across different murine models.
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6
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Shepherd A, May C, Churilov L, Adlard PA, Hannan AJ, Burrows EL. Evaluation of attention in APP/PS1 mice shows impulsive and compulsive behaviours. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2019; 20:e12594. [PMID: 31177612 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12594] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Revised: 06/06/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
While Alzheimer's disease (AD) is traditionally associated with deficits in episodic memory, early changes in other cognitive domains, such as attention, have been gaining interest. In line with clinical observations, some animal models of AD have been shown to develop attentional deficits, but this is not consistent across all models. The APPswe/PS1ΔE9 (APP/PS1) mouse is one of the most commonly used AD models and attention has not yet been scrutinised in this model. We set out to assess attention using the 5-choice serial reaction time task (5CSRTT) early in the progression of cognitive symptoms in APP/PS1 mice, using clinically translatable touchscreen chambers. APP/PS1 mice showed no attentional changes across 5CSRTT training or any probes from 9 to 11 months of age. Interestingly, APP/PS1 mice showed increased impulsive and compulsive responding when task difficulty was high. This suggests that while the APP/PS1 mouse model may not be a good model of attentional changes in AD, it may be useful to study the early changes in impulsive and compulsive behaviour that have been identified in patient studies. As these changes have not previously been reported without attentional deficits in the clinic, the APP/PS1 mouse model may provide a unique opportunity to study these specific behavioural changes seen in AD, including their mechanistic underpinnings and therapeutic implications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy Shepherd
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Kenneth Myer Building, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Carlos May
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Kenneth Myer Building, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Leonid Churilov
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Melbourne Brain Centre, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paul A Adlard
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Kenneth Myer Building, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Anthony J Hannan
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Kenneth Myer Building, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.,Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
| | - Emma L Burrows
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Kenneth Myer Building, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia
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7
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Balzani E, Falappa M, Balci F, Tucci V. An approach to monitoring home-cage behavior in mice that facilitates data sharing. Nat Protoc 2018; 13:1331-1347. [PMID: 29773907 DOI: 10.1038/nprot.2018.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Genetically modified mice are used as models for a variety of human behavioral conditions. However, behavioral phenotyping can be a major bottleneck in mouse genetics because many of the classic protocols are too long and/or are vulnerable to unaccountable sources of variance, leading to inconsistent results between centers. We developed a home-cage approach using a Chora feeder that is controlled by-and sends data to-software. In this approach, mice are tested in the standard cages in which they are held for husbandry, which removes confounding variables such as the stress induced by out-of-cage testing. This system increases the throughput of data gathering from individual animals and facilitates data mining by offering new opportunities for multimodal data comparisons. In this protocol, we use a simple work-for-food testing strategy as an example application, but the approach can be adapted for other experiments looking at, e.g., attention, decision-making or memory. The spontaneous behavioral activity of mice in performing the behavioral task can be monitored 24 h a day for several days, providing an integrated assessment of the circadian profiles of different behaviors. We developed a Python-based open-source analytical platform (Phenopy) that is accessible to scientists with no programming background and can be used to design and control such experiments, as well as to collect and share data. This approach is suitable for large-scale studies involving multiple laboratories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Balzani
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Matteo Falappa
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy.,Dipartimento di Neuroscienze, Riabilitazione, Oftalmologia, Genetica e Scienze Materno-Infantili (DINOGMI), Università degli Studi di Genova, Genova, Italy
| | - Fuat Balci
- Department of Psychology, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey.,Research Center for Translational Medicine, Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Valter Tucci
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
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8
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Kafkafi N, Agassi J, Chesler EJ, Crabbe JC, Crusio WE, Eilam D, Gerlai R, Golani I, Gomez-Marin A, Heller R, Iraqi F, Jaljuli I, Karp NA, Morgan H, Nicholson G, Pfaff DW, Richter SH, Stark PB, Stiedl O, Stodden V, Tarantino LM, Tucci V, Valdar W, Williams RW, Würbel H, Benjamini Y. Reproducibility and replicability of rodent phenotyping in preclinical studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 87:218-232. [PMID: 29357292 PMCID: PMC6071910 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 111] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Revised: 12/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The scientific community is increasingly concerned with the proportion of
published “discoveries” that are not replicated in subsequent
studies. The field of rodent behavioral phenotyping was one of the first to
raise this concern, and to relate it to other methodological issues: the complex
interaction between genotype and environment; the definitions of behavioral
constructs; and the use of laboratory mice and rats as model species for
investigating human health and disease mechanisms. In January 2015, researchers
from various disciplines gathered at Tel Aviv University to discuss these
issues. The general consensus was that the issue is prevalent and of concern,
and should be addressed at the statistical, methodological and policy levels,
but is not so severe as to call into question the validity and the usefulness of
model organisms as a whole. Well-organized community efforts, coupled with
improved data and metadata sharing, have a key role in identifying specific
problems and promoting effective solutions. Replicability is closely related to
validity, may affect generalizability and translation of findings, and has
important ethical implications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - John C Crabbe
- Oregon Health & Science University, and VA Portland Health Care System, United States
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Natasha A Karp
- Discovery Sciences, IMED Biotech Unit, AstraZeneca, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - William Valdar
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States
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9
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Maggi S, Balzani E, Lassi G, Garcia-Garcia C, Plano A, Espinoza S, Mus L, Tinarelli F, Nolan PM, Gainetdinov RR, Balci F, Nieus T, Tucci V. The after-hours circadian mutant has reduced phenotypic plasticity in behaviors at multiple timescales and in sleep homeostasis. Sci Rep 2017; 7:17765. [PMID: 29259298 PMCID: PMC5736711 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-18130-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Circadian clock is known to adapt to environmental changes and can significantly influence cognitive and physiological functions. In this work, we report specific behavioral, cognitive, and sleep homeostatic defects in the after hours (Afh) circadian mouse mutant, which is characterized by lengthened circadian period. We found that the circadian timing irregularities in Afh mice resulted in higher interval timing uncertainty and suboptimal decisions due to incapability of processing probabilities. Our phenotypic observations further suggested that Afh mutants failed to exhibit the necessary phenotypic plasticity for adapting to temporal changes at multiple time scales (seconds-to-minutes to circadian). These behavioral effects of Afh mutation were complemented by the specific disruption of the Per/Cry circadian regulatory complex in brain regions that govern food anticipatory behaviors, sleep, and timing. We derive statistical predictions, which indicate that circadian clock and sleep are complementary processes in controlling behavioral/cognitive performance during 24 hrs. The results of this study have pivotal implications for understanding how the circadian clock modulates sleep and behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Maggi
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy.,Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PL, UK
| | - Edoardo Balzani
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Glenda Lassi
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Celina Garcia-Garcia
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Andrea Plano
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Stefano Espinoza
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Liudmila Mus
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Federico Tinarelli
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Patrick M Nolan
- MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire, OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Raul R Gainetdinov
- Institute of Translational Biomedicine, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia.,Skolkovo Institute of Science & Technology, Skolkovo, Moscow, Russia
| | - Fuat Balci
- Koç University, Department of Psychology, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Thierry Nieus
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy
| | - Valter Tucci
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies - Genetics and Epigenetics of Behaviour - Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163, Genova, Italy.
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10
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Bains RS, Wells S, Sillito RR, Armstrong JD, Cater HL, Banks G, Nolan PM. Assessing mouse behaviour throughout the light/dark cycle using automated in-cage analysis tools. J Neurosci Methods 2017; 300:37-47. [PMID: 28456660 PMCID: PMC5909039 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2017.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 04/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Automated assessment of mouse home-cage behaviour is robust and reliable. Analysis over multiple light/dark cycles improves ability to classify behaviours. Combined RFID and video analysis enables home-cage analysis in group housed animals.
An important factor in reducing variability in mouse test outcomes has been to develop assays that can be used for continuous automated home cage assessment. Our experience has shown that this has been most evidenced in long-term assessment of wheel-running activity in mice. Historically, wheel-running in mice and other rodents have been used as a robust assay to determine, with precision, the inherent period of circadian rhythms in mice. Furthermore, this assay has been instrumental in dissecting the molecular genetic basis of mammalian circadian rhythms. In teasing out the elements of this test that have determined its robustness – automated assessment of an unforced behaviour in the home cage over long time intervals – we and others have been investigating whether similar test apparatus could be used to accurately discriminate differences in distinct behavioural parameters in mice. Firstly, using these systems, we explored behaviours in a number of mouse inbred strains to determine whether we could extract biologically meaningful differences. Secondly, we tested a number of relevant mutant lines to determine how discriminative these parameters were. Our findings show that, when compared to conventional out-of-cage phenotyping, a far deeper understanding of mouse mutant phenotype can be established by monitoring behaviour in the home cage over one or more light:dark cycles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rasneer S Bains
- Mary Lyon Centre, MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Science Campus, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Sara Wells
- Mary Lyon Centre, MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Science Campus, Oxfordshire, UK
| | | | - J Douglas Armstrong
- Actual Analytics Ltd., Edinburgh, UK; School of Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Heather L Cater
- Mary Lyon Centre, MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Science Campus, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Gareth Banks
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Science Campus, Oxfordshire, UK
| | - Patrick M Nolan
- Mammalian Genetics Unit, MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Science Campus, Oxfordshire, UK.
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11
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Lassi G, Maggi S, Balzani E, Cosentini I, Garcia-Garcia C, Tucci V. Working-for-Food Behaviors: A Preclinical Study in Prader-Willi Mutant Mice. Genetics 2016; 204:1129-1138. [PMID: 27672097 PMCID: PMC5105846 DOI: 10.1534/genetics.116.192286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/14/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal feeding behavior is one of the main symptoms of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). By studying a PWS mouse mutant line, which carries a paternally inherited deletion of the small nucleolar RNA 116 (Snord116), we observed significant changes in working-for-food behavioral responses at various timescales. In particular, we report that PWS mutant mice show a significant delay compared to wild-type littermate controls in responding to both hour-scale and seconds-to-minutes-scale time intervals. This timing shift in mutant mice is associated with better performance in the working-for-food task, and results in better decision making in these mutant mice. The results of our study reveal a novel aspect of the organization of feeding behavior, and advance the understanding of the interplay between the metabolic functions and cognitive mechanisms of PWS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Glenda Lassi
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Silvia Maggi
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Edoardo Balzani
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Ilaria Cosentini
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Celina Garcia-Garcia
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Valter Tucci
- Neuroscience and Brain Technologies Department, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, 16163 Genova, Italy
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12
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Balzani E, Lassi G, Maggi S, Sethi S, Parsons MJ, Simon M, Nolan PM, Tucci V. The Zfhx3-Mediated Axis Regulates Sleep and Interval Timing in Mice. Cell Rep 2016; 16:615-21. [PMID: 27373158 PMCID: PMC5991551 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2016.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2015] [Revised: 03/01/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
An AT motif-dependent axis, modulated by the transcription factor Zfhx3, influences the circadian clock in mice. In particular, gain of function of Zfhx3 significantly shortens circadian rhythms and alters the transcriptional activity of an important class of neuropeptides that controls intercellular signaling in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the hypothalamus. The ZFHX3/AT axis revealed an important, largely cell-nonautonomous control of the circadian clock. Here, by studying the recently identified circadian mouse mutant Zfhx3Sci/+, we identify significant effects on sleep homeostasis, a phenomenon that is outside the canonical circadian clock system and that is modulated by the activity of those neuropeptides at a circuit level. We show that the Zfhx3Sci/+ mutation accelerates the circadian clock at both the hourly scale (i.e., advancing circadian rhythms) and the seconds-to-minutes scale (i.e., anticipating behavioral responses) in mice. The in vivo results are accompanied by a significant presence of sleep targets among protein-protein interactions of the Zfhx3Sci/+-dependent network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edoardo Balzani
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Glenda Lassi
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Silvia Maggi
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy
| | - Siddharth Sethi
- MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Michael J Parsons
- MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Michelle Simon
- MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Patrick M Nolan
- MRC Harwell, Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Oxfordshire OX11 0RD, UK
| | - Valter Tucci
- Department of Neuroscience and Brain Technologies, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, via Morego, 30, 16163 Genova, Italy.
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13
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Mice plan decision strategies based on previously learned time intervals, locations, and probabilities. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:787-92. [PMID: 26733674 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1518316113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals can shape their timed behaviors based on experienced probabilistic relations in a nearly optimal fashion. On the other hand, it is not clear if they adopt these timed decisions by making computations based on previously learnt task parameters (time intervals, locations, and probabilities) or if they gradually develop their decisions based on trial and error. To address this question, we tested mice in the timed-switching task, which required them to anticipate when (after a short or long delay) and at which of the two delay locations a reward would be presented. The probability of short trials differed between test groups in two experiments. Critically, we first trained mice on relevant task parameters by signaling the active trial with a discriminative stimulus and delivered the corresponding reward after the associated delay without any response requirement (without inducing switching behavior). During the test phase, both options were presented simultaneously to characterize the emergence and temporal characteristics of the switching behavior. Mice exhibited timed-switching behavior starting from the first few test trials, and their performance remained stable throughout testing in the majority of the conditions. Furthermore, as the probability of the short trial increased, mice waited longer before switching from the short to long location (experiment 1). These behavioral adjustments were in directions predicted by reward maximization. These results suggest that rather than gradually adjusting their time-dependent choice behavior, mice abruptly adopted temporal decision strategies by directly integrating their previous knowledge of task parameters into their timed behavior, supporting the model-based representational account of temporal risk assessment.
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Akdoğan B, Balcı F. Stimulus probability effects on temporal bisection performance of mice (Mus musculus). Anim Cogn 2015; 19:15-30. [PMID: 26242608 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-015-0909-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2015] [Revised: 07/18/2015] [Accepted: 07/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
In the temporal bisection task, participants classify experienced stimulus durations as short or long based on their temporal similarity to previously learned reference durations. Temporal decision making in this task should be influenced by the experienced probabilities of the reference durations for adaptiveness. In this study, we tested the temporal bisection performance of mice (Mus musculus) under different short and long reference duration probability conditions implemented across two experimental phases. In Phase 1, the proportion of reference durations (compared to probe durations) was 0.5, whereas in Phase 2 it was increased to 0.8 to further examine the adjustment of choice behavior with more frequent reference duration presentations (under higher reinforcement rate). Our findings suggest that mice developed adaptive biases in their choice behaviors. These adjustments in choice behavior were nearly optimal as the mice maximized their gain to a great extent which required them to monitor stimulus probabilities as well as the level of variability in their temporal judgments. We further found that short but not long categorization response times were sensitive to stimulus probability manipulations, which in turn suggests an asymmetry between short and long categorizations. Finally, we investigated the latent decision processes underlying the bias manifested in subjects' choice behavior within the diffusion model framework. Our results revealed that probabilistic information influenced the starting point and the rate of evidence accumulation process. Overall, the stimulus probability effects on choice behavior were modulated by the reinforcement rate. Our findings illustrate that mice can adapt their temporal behaviors with respect to the probabilistic contingencies in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Başak Akdoğan
- Department of Psychology, Koç University, Rumelifeneri Yolu, 34450, Sarıyer, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Fuat Balcı
- Department of Psychology, Koç University, Rumelifeneri Yolu, 34450, Sarıyer, Istanbul, Turkey.
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MacDonald CJ, Fortin NJ, Sakata S, Meck WH. Retrospective and Prospective Views on the Role of the Hippocampus in Interval Timing and Memory for Elapsed Time. TIMING & TIME PERCEPTION 2014. [DOI: 10.1163/22134468-00002020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
The overlap of neural circuits involved in episodic memory, relational learning, trace conditioning, and interval timing suggests the importance of hippocampal-dependent processes. Identifying the functional and neural mechanisms whereby the hippocampus plays a role in timing and decision-making, however, has been elusive. In this article we describe recent neurobiological findings, including the discovery of hippocampal ‘time cells’, dependency of duration discriminations in the minutes range on hippocampal function, and the correlation of hippocampal theta rhythm with specific features of temporal processing. These results provide novel insights into the ways in which the hippocampus might interact with the striatum in order to support both retrospective and prospective timing. Suggestions are also provided for future research on the role of the hippocampus in memory for elapsed time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. MacDonald
- Picower Institute for Learning and Memory & RIKEN–MIT Center for Neural Circuit Genetics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Norbert J. Fortin
- Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Shogo Sakata
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, Graduate School of Integrated Arts and Sciences, Hiroshima University, Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Warren H. Meck
- Systems and Integrative Neuroscience Program, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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Abstract
The dopamine clock hypothesis suggests that the dopamine level determines the speed of the hypothetical internal clock. However, dopaminergic function has also been implicated for motivation and thus the effect of dopaminergic manipulations on timing behavior might also be independently mediated by altered motivational state. Studies that investigated the effect of motivational manipulations on peak responding are reviewed in this paper. The majority of these studies show that a higher reward magnitude leads to a leftward shift, whereas reward devaluation leads to a rightward shift in the initiation of timed anticipatory behavior, typically in the absence of an effect on the timing of response termination. Similar behavioral effects are also present in a number of studies that investigated the effect of dopamine agonists and dopamine-related genetic factors on peak responding. These results can be readily accounted for by independent modulation of decision-thresholds for the initiation and termination of timed responding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuat Balcı
- Department of Psychology, Koç University, Rumelifeneri yolu, Sarıyer, Istanbul, Turkey
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