| First Author | Schmidt M | Year | 2016 |
| Journal | Behav Brain Res | Volume | 296 |
| Pages | 7-14 | PubMed ID | 26275923 |
| Mgi Jnum | J:227356 | Mgi Id | MGI:5700272 |
| Doi | 10.1016/j.bbr.2015.08.005 | Citation | Schmidt M, et al. (2016) Morc1 knockout evokes a depression-like phenotype in mice. Behav Brain Res 296:7-14 |
| abstractText | Morc1 gene has recently been identified by a DNA methylation and genome-wide association study as a candidate gene for major depressive disorder related to early life stress in rodents, primates and humans. So far, no transgenic animal model has been established to validate these findings on a behavioral level. In the present study, we examined the effects of a Morc1 loss of function mutation in female C57BL/6N mice on behavioral correlates of mood disorders like the Forced Swim Test, the Learned Helplessness Paradigm, O-Maze and Dark-Light-Box. We could show that Morc1(-/-) mice display increased depressive-like behavior whereas no behavioral abnormalities regarding locomotor activity or anxiety-like behavior were detectable. CORT plasma levels did not differ significantly between Morc1(-/-) mice and their wildtype littermates, yet - surprisingly - total Bdnf mRNA-levels in the hippocampus were up-regulated in Morc1(-/-) animals. Although further work would be clarifying, Morc1(-/-) mice seem to be a promising epigenetically validated mouse model for depression associated with early life stress. |
