TMEM16A ablation in cholinergic medial habenula neurons induces early-onset schizophrenia-like phenotypes in mice.

ABSTRACT: Schizophrenia is a heterogeneous psychiatric disorder that remains inadequately treated with current therapies. Developing appropriate animal models that reflect the broad spectrum of schizophrenia symptoms is crucial for advancing our understanding of the disease and identifying effective treatments. However, existing animal models often have limitations in fully recapitulating the diverse symptomatology observed in humans. Previously, we reported that mice with conditional ablation of TMEM16A (ANO1) in cholinergic neurons of the medial habenula (ANO1 cKO) exhibit behavioral patterns indicative of anxiety, reduced social motivation, and anhedonia. In the present study, we found that these mice display schizophrenia-like phenotypes, including impaired prepulse inhibition (PPI), enhanced co

SUBMITTER: Kim A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12797405 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature