High Behavioral Variability Mediated by Altered Neuronal Excitability in auts2 Mutant Zebrafish.

ABSTRACT: Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are characterized by abnormal behavioral traits arising from neural circuit dysfunction. While a number of genes have been implicated in ASDs, in most cases, a clear understanding of how mutations in these genes lead to circuit dysfunction and behavioral abnormality is absent. The autism susceptibility candidate 2 (AUTS2) gene is one such gene, associated with ASDs, intellectual disability and a range of other neurodevelopmental conditions. However, the role of AUTS2 in neural development and circuit function is not at all known. Here, we undertook functional analysis of Auts2a, the main homolog of AUTS2 in zebrafish, in the context of the escape behavior. Escape behavior in wild-type zebrafish is critical for survival and is therefore, reliable, rapid, and

SUBMITTER: Jha U 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8503961 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep-Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature