SFARI chevron-down--small
    Program Areas
    • Mathematics and Physical Sciences
    • Life Sciences
    • Autism Research Initiative
    • Simons Collaborations
    • Flatiron Institute
    • Outreach and Education
    • Simons Society of Fellows
    Funding
    • Funding
    • Policies and Procedures
    • Award Instructions
    News
    • Announcements
    • Articles
    • Videos
    • What We’re Reading
    Events
    • Simons Foundation Lectures
    • Simons Foundation Presents
    About
    • About Us
    • Media Relations
    • Leadership
    • Annual Report
    • Contact Us
    • COVID-19
SFARI chevron-down--small

SFARI

  • Funding
    • Funding Opportunities
    • SFARI scientific perspectives
    • How to apply
    • Grant policies and procedures
    • Acknowledgment Policy
    • Sign-up for RFA Announcements
  • Resources
    • Autism Cohorts
      • Simons Simplex Collection
      • Simons Searchlight
      • SPARK
      • Autism Inpatient Collection

    • Models
      • Mouse models
      • Rat models
      • Zebrafish models
      • iPS cell models
    • Other Resources
      • SFARI Gene
      • SFARI Base
      • Data analysis tools
      • Therapeutics
      • Autism BrainNet
  • Research
    • SFARI Investigators
    • Funded Projects
    • Funded Centers
    • Funded Publications
    • Research Highlights
  • News
    • SFARI News
    • SFARI Blog
    • SFARI Conversations
    • Workshop and Meeting Reports
    • Newsletter Archive
  • Events
    • All Events
    • Lectures
    • Webinars
    • SFARI Socials
  • About
    • About Us
    • Director's Letter
    • Contact Us
    • Career Opportunities
    • Our Team
    • Advisors
      • SFARI Scientific Advisory Board
      • SFARI Scientific Review Board
      • SPARK Scientific & Community Advisory Board
  • Home
  • Research Highlights

Adult reversal of select autism-like phenotypes in SHANK3 mutant mice

    • Share This
February 26, 2016

Social interaction restored: Representative heat maps illustrate that wildtype (WT) control mice prefer an unfamiliar mouse over a novel object, while SHANK3 knockout (KO) mice display no such preference; this behavior is rescued in mice in which SHANK3 expression is restored in adulthood (TM). Image from Mei Y. et al. (2016).
SHANK3 is a postsynaptic protein that plays a role in synaptic development and function. In humans, mutations in SHANK3 have been associated with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs). SFARI Investigator Guoping Feng and his colleagues now show, using a novel SHANK3 conditional knock-in mouse model, that re-expression of the SHANK3 gene in adult mice leads to improvements in synaptic protein composition, spine density and neural function in the striatum. Select behavioral abnormalities, including deficits in social interaction and repetitive grooming, could be rescued in the adult.  By contrast, anxiety-like behaviors and motor coordination deficits are irreversible in the adult but can be improved by early postnatal intervention. Combined with previous studies showing adult rescue of select cellular and behavioral phenotypes in other genetic mouse models of ASDs, these data provide hope that a certain degree of improvement may be achievable in individuals with ASDs, even after early developmental milestones are completed.

Reference(s)


Adult restoration of SHANK3 expression rescues selective autistic-like phenotypes.

Mei Y., Monteiro P., Zhou Y., Kim J.A., Gao X., Fu Z., Feng G.

Nature 530, 481-484 (February 25, 2016) PubMed

Related

Mouse study offers promise of reversing autism symptoms

  • Spectrum
Tags
  • anxiety
  • motor impairments
  • mouse models
  • repetitive behaviors
  • SHANK3
  • social impairments
  • striatum

Research Highlights

View All
Parental influence on language development in infants at high and low risk for autismFebruary 5, 2021
Mutations in ACTL6B are linked to a form of recessive autismFebruary 5, 2021
MeCP2 and VIP-interneuronsFebruary 5, 2021
Subscribe to our newsletter and receive SFARI funding announcements and news
SFARI
SFARI’s mission is to improve the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders by funding innovative research of the highest quality and relevance.
  • Funding
  • News
  • Contact Us
  • Resources
  • Events
  • Career Opportunities
  • Research
  • About
  • © SFARI
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
  • Follow SFARI on Twitter
  • Funding
    • Funding
    • Funding Opportunities
    • SFARI scientific perspectives
    • How to apply
    • Grant policies and procedures
    • Acknowledgment Policy
    • Sign-up for RFA Announcements
  • Resources
    Resources
    • Resources
    • Autism Cohorts
      • Autism Cohorts
      • Simons Simplex Collection
      • Simons Searchlight
      • SPARK
      • Autism Inpatient Collection
    • Models
      • Mouse models
      • Rat models
      • Zebrafish models
      • iPS cell models
    • Other Resources
      • SFARI Gene
      • SFARI Base
      • Data analysis tools
      • Therapeutics
      • Autism BrainNet
  • Research
    • Research
    • SFARI Investigators
    • Funded Projects
    • Funded Centers
    • Funded Publications
    • Research Highlights
  • News
    • News
    • SFARI News
    • SFARI Blog
    • SFARI Conversations
    • Workshop and Meeting Reports
    • Newsletter Archive
  • Events
    • Events
    • All Events
    • Lectures
    • Webinars
    • SFARI Socials
  • About
    About
    • About
    • About Us
    • Director's Letter
    • Contact Us
    • Career Opportunities
    • Our Team
    • Advisors
      • Advisors
      • SFARI Scientific Advisory Board
      • SFARI Scientific Review Board
      • SPARK Scientific & Community Advisory Board
  • © SFARI
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
We use cookies to analyze web traffic and to improve your browsing experience; full details are in our privacy policy. Please agree to accept cookies from our site.AGREE