Multiple behavioral anomalies in GluR2 mutant mice exhibiting enhanced LTP

Abstract

We have previously disrupted the ionotropic glutamate receptor type 2 gene (GluR2) using gene targeting in embryonic stem cells and generated mice which lacked the GluR2 gene product. Neurophysiological analyses of these mice showed a markedly enhanced long-term potentiation (LTP) and a 9-fold increase in kainate induced Ca2+ permeability in the hippocampus. Here, we analyze the behavioral and neuroanatomical consequences of GluR2 deficiency in homozygous null mutant and age-matched littermate control mice. We show that despite unaltered gross brain morphology, several aspects of behavior were abnormal in the mutants. Object exploration, rearing, grooming and locomotion were altered in the novel arena. Eye-closure reflex, motor performance on the rotating rod and spatial and non-spatial learning performance in the water maze were also abnormal in the mutants. These abnormalities together with the widespread expression pattern of GluR2 in most excitatory CNS pathways suggest that the absence of GluR2 leads to neurological phenotypes associated with not only the hippocampus but several other brain regions potentially including the cortex and cerebellum. We speculate that GluR2 mutant mice suffer from an overall non-specifically increased excitability that may alter cognitive functions ranging from stimulus processing to motivation and learning.