Early Postnatal Shank3 Downregulation in the Nucleus Accumbens Impairs Performance in Social Conditioning Paradigms in Male Mice.

ABSTRACT: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a heterogeneous neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by reduced social interactions, as well as repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. Mutations in SHANK3, a scaffolding protein located postsynaptically at excitatory synapses, are associated with ASD, schizophrenia, and intellectual disability in humans. Similar autism-like phenotypes have been observed in Shank3-deficient rodent models. The mesolimbic dopamine pathway appears to be particularly sensitive to Shank3 disruptions. We have previously shown that Shank3 downregulation in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) (Shank3-NAcKD) during early postnatal development impaired social preference in the three-chamber test. Here, we aimed to assess whether this Shank3 downregulation would lead to deficits

SUBMITTER: Contestabile A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12319878 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature