Prenatal viral infection of mice at E16 causes changes in gene expression in hippocampi of the offspring
Received 21 January 2009; received in revised form 4 March 2009; accepted 24 March 2009. published online 08 June 2009.
Abstract
The hippocampus governs memory formation and emotional regulation, and there is widespread evidence of hippocampal dysfunction in psychiatric disorders, including schizophrenia and autism. There is abundant evidence that prenatal viral infection may play a role in the development of these two disorders. In the current study, we have examined gene expression and structural changes of the hippocampi of exposed neonates following maternal infection at embryonic day (E) 16 (middle second trimester). We observed significant changes in gene expression in the offspring at postnatal day (P) 0 (birth), P14 (childhood), and P56 (adulthood), including a number of candidate genes for autism and schizophrenia. qRT-PCR verified the direction and magnitude of change for 5 of the genes from the microarray data set and revealed mRNA changes for additional genes associated with schizophrenia and autism. MRI revealed a decrease in hippocampal volume at P35 (adolescence). Our results demonstrate altered gene expression and reduced hippocampal volume in the offspring following prenatal viral infection at E16.
aDepartment of Psychiatry, Division of Neuroscience Research, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis, USA
bDepartment of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis, USA
cDepartment of Neuroscience, University of Minnesota School of Medicine, Minneapolis, USA
dDepartment of Radiology, Division of NMR, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, USA
Corresponding author. Department of Psychiatry, Division of Neuroscience Research, University of Minnesota, Medical School, MMC 392, 420 Delaware St. S.E., Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA. Tel.: +1 612 626 3633; fax: +1 612 624 8935.
ABSTRACT