Establishment and analysis of a mouse model of treatment-resistant autism comorbid with ADHD

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15K09873
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Psychiatric science
• Research Institution: Wakayama Medical University
• Principal Investigator: HISAOKA TOMOKO 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (00398463)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 森川 吉博 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (60230108)
• Co-Investigator(Renkei-kenkyūsha): KITAMURA TOSHIO 東京大学, 医科学研究所, 教授 (20282527) ; KOMORI TADASUKE 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 講師 (90433359)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 精神発達障害 / 自閉症スペクトラム障害 / シナプス / 注意欠如・多動性障害 / 神経科学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In recent studies, it has been suggested that Kirrel3 is an autism-associated gene. We generated Kirrel3-knockout (KO) mice and investigated their behavioral phenotypes relevant to autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Kirrel3-KO mice exhibited ASD-like behaviors with hyperactivity. In addition, we observed abnormal synaptic organization in the cerebellum and accessory olfactory bulb in Kirrel3-KO mice. These results suggest that the abnormal synapse formation of cerebellum and accessory olfactory bulb in Kirrel3-KO mice may induce abnormal synaptic activity, which cause ASD-like behaviors with hyperactivity. It remains unknown which neural circuits are impaired in the patients with treatment-resistant autism comorbid with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Kirrel3-KO mice may be represented a mouse model of ASD comorbid with ADHD and could provide molecular and pathophysiological information for ASD comorbid with ADHD.

Free Research Field

神経発生学、神経組織学、行動生理学