Cell Defects Affect Social Conduct in Mice

A team of Japanese scientists has found a genetic mutation causing defects in a specialized part of brain cells impairs the social behavior of mice.

The researchers discovered the mutation causes changes in parts of the cell called the mitochondria that process food to produce energy for the cell’s functioning. Prior studies have shown mitochondrial defects are associated with conditions as diverse as mental retardation, stroke and heart disease, as well as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.

The scientists from the University of Tsukuba, Kyoto University and the Fujita Health University in Japan found mice with the genetic mutation had mitochondria that produced smaller amounts of energy. They also found mice with the mutation performed poorly in tests of social behavior but better in tests of spatial memory, when compared with the performance of normal mice.

The superior memory performance in the affected mice was an unexpected finding and the researchers believe their study will help clarify the connection in humans between mitochondrial breakdowns and mental illness.

The findings were presented last week in Washington during the 47th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology.