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The voltage-gated Ca2+ channel subunit α2δ-4 regulates locomotor behavior and sensorimotor gating in mice
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

The voltage-gated Ca2+ channel subunit α2δ-4 regulates locomotor behavior and sensorimotor gating in mice

Annette Klomp, Ryotaro Omichi, Yoichiro Iwasa, Richard J Smith, Yuriy M Usachev, Andrew F Russo, Nandakumar S Narayanan and Amy Lee
PloS one, Vol.17(3), pp.e0263197-e0263197
03/30/2022
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0263197
PMCID: PMC8967030
PMID: 35353835
url
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0263197View
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Voltage-gated Ca2+ channels are critical for the development and mature function of the nervous system. Variants in the CACNA2D4 gene encoding the α2δ-4 auxiliary subunit of these channels are associated with neuropsychiatric and neurodevelopmental disorders. α2δ-4 is prominently expressed in the retina and is crucial for vision, but extra-retinal functions of α2δ-4 have not been investigated. Here, we sought to fill this gap by analyzing the behavioral phenotypes of α2δ-4 knockout (KO) mice. α2δ-4 KO mice (both males and females) exhibited significant impairments in prepulse inhibition that were unlikely to result from the modestly elevated auditory brainstem response thresholds. Whereas α2δ-4 KO mice of both sexes were hyperactive in various assays, only females showed impaired motor coordination in the rotarod assay. α2δ-4 KO mice exhibited anxiolytic and anti-depressive behaviors in the elevated plus maze and tail suspension tests, respectively. Our results reveal an unexpected role for α2δ-4 in sensorimotor gating and motor function and identify α2δ-4 KO mice as a novel model for studying the pathophysiology associated with CACNA2D4 variants.

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