Hippocampal neuroligin-2 overexpression leads to reduced aggression and inhibited novelty reactivity in rats.

ABSTRACT: Disturbances of the excitation/inhibition (E/I) balance in the brain were recently suggested as potential factors underlying disorders like autism and schizophrenia resulting in associated behavioral alterations including changes in social and emotional behavior as well as abnormal aggression. Neuronal cell adhesion molecules (nCAMs) and mutations in these genes were found to be strongly implicated in the pathophysiology of these disorders. Neuroligin2 (nlgn2) is a postsynaptic cell adhesion molecule, which is predominantly expressed at inhibitory synapses and required for synapse specification and stabilization. Changes in the expression of nlgn2 were shown to result in alterations of social behavior as well as altered inhibitory synaptic transmission, hence modifying the E/I balance. In

SUBMITTER: Kohl C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3579928 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature