Expression of MeCP2 in a Social Maternal Learning Paradigm in Mice Open Access

Abstract

Learning and the formation of memories of salient sensory stimuli is an essential aspect of motherhood that facilitates maternal responsiveness. Two factors that influence this period of learning include the direct interaction and experience the mother has with her infants and the contribution of circulating hormones that may affect the neural circuitry resulting in a behavioral response. In our study, we examine the gene, Methyl-CpG-binding protein 2 (Mecp2), which is known to be associated with experience-dependent learning and acts through epigenetic regulation to modulate activity of other genes and facilitate synaptic changes in the brain. We performed immunohistochemical staining to obtain the expression of MeCP2 in the auditory cortex of intact CBA/CaJ female mice. Our cohorts consisted of animals manipulated by their level of pup experience (naïve vs. 5 days) and physiological state (virgin vs. pregnant). We found that MeCP2 levels in these adult animals did not differ significantly across groups, indicating that neither the maternal physiological state nor the experience caring for pups are associated with changes in this developmentally-implicated mediator of experience-dependent plasticity. Our findings suggest changes in MeCP2 expression levels does not appear to be associated with plasticity in the auditory cortex during infant cue learning, 

Table of Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………..1

Materials and Methods………………………………………………………………………….....6

Results……………………………………………………………………………………………..9

Discussion………………………………………………………………………………………..10

Table1…… ……………………………………………………………………………….……..13

Table2….………………………………………………………………………………….……..14

Figure 1.…………..……………………………………………………………………….……..15

Figure 2.…………..……………………………………………………………………….……..16

Figure 3.…………..……………………………………………………………………….……..17

Figure 4.…………..……………………………………………………………………….……..18

Figure 5.…………..……………………………………………………………………….……..19

Figure 6.…………..……………………………………………………………………….……..20

Figure 7.…………..……………………………………………………………………….……..21

Figure 8.…………..……………………………………………………………………….……..22

References………………………………………………………………………………………..23

About this Honors Thesis

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School	Emory College
Department	Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology
Degree	B.S.
Submission	Honors Thesis
Language	English
Research Field	Biology, Neuroscience Biology, Molecular
Keyword	behavior auditory cortex hormone
Committee Chair / Thesis Advisor	Liu, Robert, Emory University
Committee Members	Young, Larry, Emory University Gong, Zhiyun, Emory University

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