[Abstract Title]. - Society for Neuroscience

with the behavioral deficit, spine density was significantly decreased on apical dendrites, but not
on basal dendrites, of hippocampal pyramidal neurons of motopsin knockout mice. Social
interaction and spatial learning induced the phosphorylation of cAMP responsive element
binding protein (CREB) in hippocampal neurons of wild-type mice, whereas phosphorylated
CREB was barely detected in mutant mouse brains. Our results indicate that motopsin
preferentially affects social interest and spatial memory by modulating the functions of
hippocampal neurons.
Disclosures: S. Mitsui, None; Y. Osako, None; F. Yokoi, None; M.T. Dang, None; K. Yuri,
None; Y. Li, None; N. Yamaguchi, None.
Poster
249. Dyslexia, SLI, and Other Disorders of Cognition and Behavior
Time: Sunday, November 16, 2008, 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Program#/Poster#: 249.13/U32
Topic: C.05.c. Non- syndromic forms of general cognitive dysfunction.
Support: EU IP LSHG-CT-2003-035367
Title: Characterisation of MEGAP/SrGAP3 mental retardation mouse model
Authors: *R. WALTEREIT 1 , U. LEIMER 1 , V. ENDRIS 3 , O. VON BOHLEN UND
HALBACH 4 , J. PANKE 1 , V. BAIER 1 , S. TILL 5 , J. HADERER 1 , S. KUTSCHERJAWY 1 , S.
NESCHOLTA 1 , M. HRABÉ DE ANGELIS 6 , A. SARTORIUS 2 , G. RAPPOLD 3 , D.
BARTSCH 1 ;
1 Mol. Biol., 2 Translational Imaging, Central Inst. Mental Hlth., Mannheim, Germany; 3 Human
Genet., 4 Neuroanatomy, Univ. of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany; 5 Ctr. for Neurosci. Res.,
Univ. of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; 6 Inst. of Exptl. Genet., Helmholtz Zentrum
München, München, Germany
Abstract: Mental retardation (MR) affects up to two percent of the population and is
accompanied by impaired learning and memory. MR is frequently associated with mutations in
genes involved in Rho signal transduction cascades. Rho signal transduction pathways regulate
axonal and dendritic growth during embryonic development and morphological adaptations of
dendritic spines underlying synaptic plasticity in adult neurons. Loss of function mutation of the
MEGAP/SrGAP3 (Mental disorder associated GAP protein) gene was diagnosed in a patient
with MR and ataxia. The MEGAP protein is part of the Rho signal transduction cascades. To
obtain a mouse model to study MEGAP depletion, we have generated a knockout mouse.
Homozygous knockout mice are viable, but about 30% mice develop a hydrocephalus and die