Mouse Behavior Core

The goal of the Mouse Behavior Core is to provide the highest quality assessment of the neurological status and specific behaviors in mice for investigators who use murine models to address questions about basic biology or disease in the CNS.

Our facility was established to consolidate, centralize and standardize mouse behavioral testing in order to lower the barriers to integrating behavioral studies, foster innovation, and facilitate collaboration. The Core Director is Dr. Erin Lind.

The Core provides consultation of project design, test selection and data analysis, access to and training on behavioral equipment, and full-service testing performed by experienced core staff.  Following an initial consultation, a PI may decide to have testing performed by dedicated, experienced Core staff or to have members of the investigator’s own lab trained to run the tests of interest.

Currently, we offer support for running a wide range of tests including assays of neuromotor function (e.g. activity, coordination and gait analysis), affective behavior (anxiety, depression, addiction), and cognition (reference and working memory, instrumental and spatial navigation tasks). We also offers assistance with transgenic colony maintenance and can perform select surgical services as needed. With two sites (Wallin Medical Bioscience Building and Jackson Hall), there are ample and highly accessible opportunities for researchers to utilize core resources to expand the scope of their investigations.

Mouse Behavior Core Associated Publications:

• Duvick L, Southern WM, Benzow K, Handler HP, Mitchell JS, Kuivinen H, Gadiparthi UK, Yang P, Soles A, Scheeler C, Rainwater O, Shannah S, Larson E, Nichols-Meade T, You Y, Oâ Callaghan B, Zoghbi HY, Ervasti JM, Cvetanovic M, Koob MD, Orr HT. Regional vulnerability in a neurodegenerative disease: Delineating SCA1 CNS and muscle therapeutic targets using a conditional mutant ATXN1 mouse (2023). bioRxiv [Preprint].
• Rosa JG, Hamel K, Soles A, Sheeler C, Borgenheimer E, Gilliat S, Sbrocco K, Ghanoum F, Handler HP, Forster C, Rainwater O, Cvetanovic M (2023) BDNF is altered in a brain-region specific manner and rescues deficits in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1. Neurobiol Dis 178:106023.
• Rosa JG, Hamel K, Soles A, Sheeler C, Borgenheimer E, Gilliat S, Sbrocco K, Ghanoum F, Handler HP, Forster C, Rainwater O, Cvetanovic M (2023) BDNF is altered in a brain-region specific manner and rescues deficits in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1. Neurobiol Dis 178:106023.
• Handler HP, Duvick L, Mitchell JS, Cvetanovic M, Reighard M, Soles A, Mather KB, Rainwater O, Serres S, Nichols-Meade T, Coffin SL, You Y, Ruis BL, O'Callaghan B, Henzler C, Zoghbi HY, Orr HT (2023) Decreasing mutant ATXN1 nuclear localization improves a spectrum of SCA1-like phenotypes and brain region transcriptomic profiles. Neuron 111(4):493-507.
• Demos-Davies K, Lawrence J, Rogich A, Lind E, Seelig D (2022) Cancer treatment induces neuroinflammation and behavioral deficits in mice. Front Behav Neurosci 16:1067298.
• Yu D, Zarate N, White A, Coates D, Tsai W, Nanclares C, Cuccu F, Yue JS, Brown TG, Mansky RH, Jiang K, Kim H, Nichols-Meade T, Larson SN, Katherine G, Zhang Y, Tomas-Zapico C, Lucaas JJ, Benneyworth M, Oz G, Cvetanovic M, Araque A, Gomez-Pastor R (2022) CK2 alpha prime and alpha-synuclein pathogenic function interaction mediates synaptic dysregulation in huntington's disease. Acta neuropathol Commun 10(1): 83
• Trieu BH, Remmers BC, Carlee Toddes, Brandner DD, Lefevre EM, Kocharian A, Retzlaff CL, Dick RM, Mashai MA, Gauthier EA, Xie W, Zhang Y, More SS, Rothwell PE (2022) Angiotensin-converting enzyme gates brain circuit-specific plasticity via an endogenous opioid. Science 375: 1177-1182.
• Merley AL, Hubbard JS, Rendahl AK, Duke Boynton FD, Collura Impelluso L (2022) Behavioral and physiological effects of dirty bedding exposure in female ICR mice. J Am Assoc Lab Anim Sci 61(1): 42-51.
• O’Callaghan B, Hofstra B, Handler HP, Kordasiewicz HB, Cole T, Duvick L, Friedrich J, Rainwater O, Yang P, Benneyworth M, Nichols-Meade T, Heal W, Haar RT, Henzler C, Orr HT (2020) Antisense oligonucleotide therapeutic approach for suppression of Ataxin-1 expression: A safety assessment. Mol Ther Nucleic Acids 21: 1006-1016.
• Ou L, Przybilla MJ, Tăbăran A-F, Overn P, O'Sullivan MG, Jiang X, Sidhu R, Kell PJ, Ory DS, Whitley CB (2020) A novel gene editing system to treat both Tay-Sachs and Sandhoff disease. Gene Ther 27(5): 226-236.
• Madayag AC, Gomez D, Anderson EM, Ingebretson AE, Thomas MJ, Hearing M (2019) Cell-type and region-specific nucleus accumbens AMPAR plasticity associated with morphine reward, reinstatement, and spontaneous withdrawal. Brain Structure Funct 224:2311-2324.
• Singh B, Covelo A, Martell-Martínez H, Nanclares C, Sherman MA, Okematti E, Meints J, Teravskis PJ, Gallardo C, Savonenko AV, Benneyworth MA, Lesné SE, Liao D, Araque A, Lee MK (2019). Tau is required for progressive synaptic and memory deficits in a transgenic mouse model of a-synucleinopathy. Acta Neuropathologica  138: 551-574.
• Benneyworth MA, Hearing MC, Asp AJ, Madayag A, Ingebretson AE, Schmidt CE, Silvis KA, Larson EB, Ebner SR, Thomas MJ (2019). Synaptic Depotentiation and mGluR5 Activity in the Nucleus Accumbens Drive Cocaine-Primed Reinstatement of Place Preference. J Neurosci 39(24):4785-4796 PMID:30948476
• Teravskis PJ, Covelo A, Miller EC, Singh B, Martell-Martínez HA, Benneyworth MA, Gallardo C, Oxnard BR, Araque A, Lee MK, Liao D (2018) A534T mutant alpha-synuclein induces tau-dependent postsynaptic impairment independently of neurodegenerative changes. J Neurosci 38(45): 9754-9767.
• Ebner SR, Larson EB, Hearing MC, Ingebretson AE, Thomas MJ (2018) Extinction and reinstatement of cocaine-seeking in self-administering mice is associated with bidirectional AMPAR-mediated plasticity in the nucleus accumbens shell. Neurosci 384: 340-349.
• Vo BN, Abney KK, Anderson A, Marron Fernandez de Velasco E, Benneyworth MA, Daniels JS, Morrison RD, Hopkins CR, Weaver CD, Wickman K (2018). VU0810464, a non-urea G protein-gated inwardly rectifying K+ (Kir 3/GIRK) channel activator, exhibits enhanced selectivity for neuronal Kir 3 channels and reduces stress-induced hyperthermia in mice. Br J Pharmacol 176(13):2238-2249 PMID:30924523
• Friedrich J, Kordasiewica HB, O’Callaghan B, Handler H, Wagener C, Duvick L, Swayze EE, Rainwater O, Hofstra B, Benneyworth MA, Nichols-Meade T, Yang P, Chen Z, Perez Ortix J, Clark HB, Oz G, Larson S, Zoghbi HY, Henzler C, Orr HT (2018) Antisense oligonucleotide-mediated Ataxin-1 reduction prolongs survival in SCA1 mice and reveals disease-associated transcriptome profiles. JCI Insight 3(21) PMID:3038572
• Teravakis P, Covelo A, Miller E. Singh B, Martell-Martinez H. Benneyworth MA, Gallardo C, Oxnard B, Araque A, Lee MK, Liao D (2018) A53T mutant alpha-synuclein induces tau dependent postsynaptic impairment independent of neurodegenerative changes. J Neurosci 38(45):9754-9767 PMID: 30249789
• Lin YL, Tsai HC, Liu PY, Benneyworth M, Wei LN (2017) Receptor-interacting protein 140 as a co-repressor of Heat Shock Factor 1 regulates neuronal stress response.  Cell Death Dis 8(12):3203 PMID:29233969
• Martin-Fernandez M, Jamison S, Robin LM, Zhao Z, Martin ED, Aguilar J, Benneyworth MA, Marsicano G, Araque A (2017) Synapse-specific astrocyte gating of amygdala-related behavior. Nat Neurosci. 20: 1540-1548. PMID: 28945222
• Laoharawee K, Podetz-Pedersen KM, Nguyen TT, Evenstar LB, Kitto KF, Nan Z, Fairbanks CA, Low WC, Kozarsky KF, McIvor RS. (2017) Prevention of Neurocognitive Deficiency in Mucopolysaccharidosis Type II Mice By CNS-Directed, AAV9-Mediated Iduronate Sulfatase Gene Transfer. Hum Gene Ther. 28(8): 626-638.
• Belur LR, Temme A, Podetz-Pedersen KM, Riedl M, Vulchanova L, Robinson N, Hanson LR, Kozarsky KF, Orchard PJ, Frey Ii WH, Low WC, McIvor RS. (2017) Intranasal Adeno-Associated Virus Mediated Gene Delivery and Expression of Human Iduronidase in the Central Nervous System: A Noninvasive and Effective Approach for Prevention of Neurologic Disease in Mucopolysaccharidosis Type I. Hum Gene Ther. 28(7): 576-587.
• Hearing MC, Jedynak J, Ebner SR, Ingebretson A, Asp AJ, Fischer RA, Schmidt C, Larson EB, Thomas MJ (2016) Reversal of morphine-induced cell-type specific synaptic plasticity in the nucleus accumbens shell blocks reinstatement. Proc Natl Acad Sci 113(3): 757-762.
• Kennedy BC, Dimova JG, Dakoji S, Yuan LL, Gewirtz JC, Tran PV. (2016) Deletion of Novel Protein TMEM35 Alters Stress-related Functions and Impairs Long-term Memory in Mice. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 311(1):R166-78 PMID:27170659
• Victoria NC, Marron Fernandez de Velasco E, Ostrovskaya O, Metzger S, Xia Z, Kotecki L, Benneyworth MA, Zink AN, Martemyanov KA, Wickman K. (2015) G Protein-Gated K+ Channel Ablation in Forebrain Pyramidal Neurons Selectively Impairs Fear Learning. Biol Psychiatry. 2015 Nov 10. PMID: 26612516
• McBrayer ZL, Dimova J, Pisansky MT, Sun M, Beppu H, Gewirtz JC, O'Connor MB (2015) Forebrain-Specific Loss of BMPRII in Mice Reduces Anxiety and Increases Object Exploration. PLoS One. Oct 7;10 PMID:26444546
• Wydeven N, Fernandez de Velasco EM, Du Y, Benneyworth MA, Hearing MC, Fischer RA, Thomas MJ, Weaver CD, Wickman K (2014) Mechanisms underlying the activation of G-protein–gated inwardly rectifying K+ (GIRK) channels by the novel anxiolytic drug, ML297 Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 111(29): 10755–10760. PMCID: PMC4115558
• Le Naour M, Lunzer MM, Powers MD, Kalyuzhny AE, Benneyworth MA, Thomas MJ, Portoghese PS (2014) KOR opioid heteromers as targets for developing analgesics free of adverse effects. J Med Chem. 57(15):6383-92. PMCID: PMC4136663