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The Journal of Neuroscience, July 15, 1999, 19(14):6175-6182
Cognitive Deficits in a Genetic Mouse Model of the Most Common
Biochemical Cause of Human Mental Retardation
Leze
Zagreda1,
Jason
Goodman1,
Donald P.
Druin1,
David
McDonald2, and
Adele
Diamond1
1 Center for Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience,
Eunice Kennedy Shriver Center, Waltham, Massachusetts 02452, and
2 Department of Biological Sciences, Wichita State
University, Wichita, Kansas 67260-0026
 |
ABSTRACT |
Phenylalanine hydroxylase (Pah)-deficient "PKU
mice" have a mutation in the Pah gene that causes
phenylketonuria (PKU) in humans. PKU produces cognitive deficits in
humans if it is untreated. We report here the first evidence that the
genetic mouse model of PKU (Pahenu2) also
produces cognitive impairments. PKU mice were impaired on both odor
discrimination reversal and latent learning compared with heterozygote
littermates and with wild-type mice of the same BTBR strain. A small
container of cinnamon-scented sand was presented on the right or left,
and nutmeg-scented sand was presented on the other side; left-right
location varied over trials. Digging in sand of the correct scent was
rewarded by finding phenylalanine-free chocolate. To prevent scent
cuing, new containers were used on every trial, and both containers
always contained chocolate. Digging in the incorrect choice was stopped
before the chocolate was uncovered. Once criterion was reached, the
other scent was rewarded. PKU mice were impaired on reversals 2, 3, and 4. They were also impaired in latent learning. On day 1, half
the mice were allowed to explore a maze and discover the location of
water. On day 2, all mice were water-deprived and were placed in the
maze. Whereas pre-exposed wild-type and heterozygous mice showed
evidence that they remembered the location of the water
and hence could find the water faster on day 2, pre-exposed PKU mice
showed no significant benefit from their pre-exposure on day 1.
Key words:
PKU; phenylketonuria; mental retardation; reversal
learning; latent learning; odor discrimination; mice; learning set; memory; animal models
 |
INTRODUCTION |
Phenylketonuria (PKU) is an inborn
error of metabolism in which phenylalanine hydroxylase
(Pah), the enzyme necessary for the hydroxylation of
phenylalanine (Phe) to tyrosine is absent or markedly deficient (Woo et
al., 1983
; Lidsky et al., 1985
; DiLella et al., 1986
). If PKU is left
untreated, widespread brain damage and severe mental retardation result
(Hsia, 1966
; Cowie, 1971
; Tourian and Sidbury, 1978
; Koch et
al., 1982
). Indeed, it is the most common biochemical cause of
mental retardation in people.
A genetic mouse model of PKU, called the Pahenu2
mouse, has been created by McDonald and colleagues in the BTBR mouse
strain (McDonald et al., 1990
; Shedlovsky et al., 1993
). PKU
(Pahenu2) mice have a mutation of the
Pah gene, homologous to the PAH gene that
causes PKU in humans. The Pahenu2 mutation results
in a phenotype closely resembling human PKU; mice of the BTBR strain
with the Pahenu2 mutation have minimal or absent
Pah activity, plasma levels of Phe that are 10-20 times
normal (23 ± 1.0 mg/dl), and hypopigmentation, all of which are
comparable with that seen in human PKU. However, it had never been
demonstrated that the mouse model has the most prominent characteristic
of human PKU: cognitive impairments. We report here the first evidence
of cognitive impairments in the genetic mouse model of the most
common biochemical cause of mental retardation: PKU.
Background: development and characterization of the genetic
mouse model of PKU
Inbred male mice of the BTBR strain were treated with the
germ line mutagen ethylnitrosourea (ENU) and then mated to normal BTBR
females. The resulting progeny were potential carriers of mutations at
the Pah locus; 150 of these progeny were inbred in two
further generations and then subjected to a Phe clearance test to
identify a mouse mutant deficient in Pah activity (McDonald et al., 1990
). In a second round of mutational analysis, Shedlovsky et
al. (1993)
identified carriers of two new mutant alleles at the
Pah locus by genetic noncomplementation with the first
mutant allele. For each new mutant allele, a congenic inbred mutant
BTBR line was established by backcrossing to the wild-type BTBR strain for >10 generations to separate the Pah mutation from
other, loosely linked, mutations.
Among 350 potential carriers, each representing one mutagenized
paternal gamete, Shedlovsky and colleagues (1993)
isolated the
Pahenu2 mutation, which resulted in a phenotype with
gross elevations in blood levels of Phe and only trace amounts of
activity of the Pah enzyme, closely simulating human PKU.
Whereas wild-type BTBR mice show Pah activity of 40 ± 6 (
O.D. × 103/min/mg protein),
Pahenu2 mice show Pah activity of 0 ± 2. Mixing experiments demonstrated that the mutant liver extracts
did not contain an inhibitor of Pah activity. Pah
mRNA was measured using RNase protection assay with total liver
RNA; its level is only 1% in Pahenu2 animals.
 |
MATERIALS AND METHODS |
Subjects
The subject groups were as follows: (1) wild-type BTBR mice
(whose mean plasma Phe level was 0.85 ± 0.17 mg/dl; (2)
heterozygous BTBR mice (wild type crossed with
Pahenu2 (PKU); the mean plasma Phe level of the
heterozygotes was 0.93 ± 0.30 mg/dl; and (3) homozygous
Pahenu2 (PKU) mice (whose mean plasma Phe level was
18.60 ± 2.69 mg/dl). Plasma Phe levels were determined by HPLC
analyses performed by the New England Newborn Screening Program at the
University of Massachusetts Medical Center, which performs these
analyses on blood samples from every child born in the New England
area. The progenitor mice were obtained from The Jackson Laboratory
(Bar Harbor, ME). Most heterozygotes and Pahenu2
(PKU) mice were produced by crossing homozygous
Pahenu2 fathers and heterozygous
Pahenu2/wild-type mothers. Because male
Pahenu2 (PKU) mice are not good breeders, we also
set up a few matings in which both the male and female were
heterozygous Pahenu2/wild-type. Thus, the
experimental group [the PKU model animals (Pahenu2)] was compared with two control groups:
their heterozygous littermates and normal animals. Mice who are
heterozygous for PKU, like humans who are heterozygous for PKU, have
plasma Phe levels that are almost as low as conspecifics who carry no
mutation for PKU. It was important that the pregnant dams not have
plasma Phe levels 10-20 times normal (as do PKU mice, or humans with
PKU, on a normal diet) because that can cause in utero brain
damage to the fetuses. For this reason, it was male
Pahenu2 (PKU) mice who were used for mating, never
female Pahenu2 (PKU) mice. Information on the ages
and percentage of males and females tested on the behavior tasks is
provided in Table 1. All animals were
treated in accordance with the NIH Guide for the Care and Use of
Animals in Research.
 |
Odor discrimination and reversal |
Two plastic bottle caps filled with scented sand were mounted on
a horizontal platform, separated by a vertical barrier, and attached to
a long handle. Before testing, the animals were taught to dig in
unscented sand to obtain small bits of chocolate. For odor
discrimination, the animal's task was to learn that one scent was
always correct. Which side a scent appeared on was varied over trials
according to a pseudorandom Gellerman protocol. For half of the animals
in each group, the cinnamon scent was correct; for half the animals,
the nutmeg scent was correct. The mouse had to deduce the rule
governing the correct response based on feedback on each trial (receipt
or nonreceipt of the chocolate reward). Once a mouse passed the
criterion for demonstrating successful learning of this discrimination,
reversal learning began, and the contingencies were reversed. This
procedure was repeated for a total of four reversals.
Materials for odor discrimination and reversal
Two identical circular, opaque plastic caps (2.2 cm in
diameter × 1 cm in depth) were aligned horizontally on a
Plexiglas base (7.5 cm long × 3 cm wide) (Fig.
1). The caps were 5.5 cm apart, center to
center. The caps were attached to the base using Velcro to allow
replacement after each trial so that the mouse could not use scent to
mark the correct choice. One cap contained cinnamon-scented sand and
one contained nutmeg-scented sand (the ratio of scent-to-sand was
0.3:5.0 gm). Play sand was combined with a spice (CVS-Gold brand) in a
ratio of 5.0:0.03 gm sand-to-spice and thoroughly mixed. For each
testing session, all caps were prepared before testing started.
A vertical barrier (5-cm-high) was positioned midway between the caps
to prevent the mouse from digging in both caps on any given trial. The
base was attached to a long vertical handle so that the experimenter
could easily lower the apparatus into the mouse's home cage. Phe-free
chocolate was used as the reward to avoid increasing the Phe levels of
the PKU mice. A piece of Phe-free chocolate was buried in each of the
two caps on every trial so that the mouse could not use the scent of
chocolate as a cue indicating where to dig.
Pretraining procedure
All mice were weighed for 3 d to establish a baseline
weight. Thereafter, the mice were placed on a food deprivation schedule of 90% body weight for the duration of training and testing. To minimize stress, all training and testing occurred in the animal's home cage. Only unscented sand was used during pretraining.
Pretraining phase 1. The mice were trained to dig in a cap
of sand to retrieve the chocolate reward. Each trial consisted of the
presentation of a single cap in the left or right position. Each
training session consisted of four trials, two to each side. Three
pieces of chocolate were placed in each cap on each trial in this phase
training. One piece of chocolate was completely buried in the sand, the
second piece was partially buried, and the third rested on top of the
sand. A trial was completed successfully when the mouse retrieved all
three pieces of chocolate. If the mouse failed to retrieve all three
pieces of chocolate within 5 min, the apparatus was removed and the
trial was terminated. The learning criterion was four of four trials of
retrieved chocolate (a total of 12 pieces of chocolate per day) for 2 consecutive days (two sessions, one per day).
Pretraining phase 2. In the second phase of training, only
two pieces of chocolate were used per cap. One piece was fully buried
in the sand, whereas the other was partially buried. A trial was
completed successfully when the mouse retrieved both pieces of
chocolate. If the mouse failed to retrieve both pieces of chocolate
within 5 min, the apparatus was removed and the trial was terminated.
The criterion for correct performance was four of four trials of
retrieved chocolate (a total of eight pieces of chocolate) in one
session (four trials).
Pretraining phase 3. During the final phase of training,
only one piece of chocolate was placed in the cap of sand, fully buried. Each session still consisted of four trials, one cap per trial.
There were two sessions per day separated by a 5 min interval. A trial
was completed successfully when the mouse retrieved the piece of
chocolate. If the mouse failed to retrieve the piece of chocolate
within 5 min, the apparatus was removed and the trial was terminated.
The criterion to pass this last phase of training was eight of eight
trials of retrieved chocolate (a total of eight pieces of chocolate in
one day) over two consecutive sessions.
Odor discrimination learning procedure
At the start of each trial, a vertical barrier was placed in the
mouse's home cage. This kept the mouse away from the caps at the start
of the trial. The Plexiglas cage top allowed the experimenter to slide
the vertical barrier back and helped hold it in place. Next, the caps
containing the nutmeg-scented and cinnamon-scented sand were lowered
into the mouse's home cage. After 30 sec, the barrier was raised so
that the mouse could make a choice between the two caps. A choice was
scored when the mouse's nose and paws were in the sand and the mouse
made a digging motion. If an incorrect choice was made, the
experimenter pulled the caps out of the cage before the mouse could
retrieve the chocolate. The intertrial interval was 30 sec. The
intersession interval was 5 min. A day of testing consisted of eight
trials (four trials per session, two sessions per day). A mouse passed
discrimination learning when 14 of 16 correct choices were made over 2 consecutive days (four sessions, two per day) within a maximum of 42 testing sessions.
Odor discrimination reversal procedure
The same testing procedure was used, except that the other
previously unrewarded scent now signaled the location of the
reward. A total of four reversals was administered. A mouse passed a
given reversal when 14 of 16 correct choices were made over 2 consecutive days (four sessions, two per day) within a maximum of 42 testing sessions.
 |
Latent learning |
To test for latent learning, on day 1, half the mice were
allowed to explore a novel field attached to a T-maze that contained water at one location. Their learning of where the water was located is
considered "latent" because they were not thirsty on day 1. All the
mice were then deprived of water for ~24 hr. On day 2, each mouse was
placed in the field and maze. The question of interest was as follows:
Did the mice benefit from the experience os the previous day? That is,
did the mice with pre-exposure on day 1 find the water on day 2 faster
then their naïve counterparts?
Materials for latent learning
The testing apparatus consisted of an open field attached to a
T-maze. To minimize the likelihood of a mouse finding the water accidentally, water was always on a platform raised 2 inches above the
ground, stationed at the end of the right arm of the T-maze. The left
arm of the T-maze contained an identical raised platform without water.
To control for scent cuing, water was placed just behind the left arm
platform outside the maze. Each mouse was allowed to explore the maze
alone for 5 min or until he/she found the water (whichever came first).
If a mouse did not locate the water in 5 min, he/she was removed from
the maze. A mouse was considered to have located the water when the
mouse stood on his or her hind legs and drank from the platform.
Latent learning procedure
Day 1. All mice were on full food and water. Half the
mice (the pre-exposed group) were allowed to explore the T-maze that contained water at the end of the right-hand side. If a mouse did not
find the water in 5 min, he/she was removed from the maze. All the mice
were then water-deprived for 24 hr.
Day 2. Each mouse was placed individually in the maze and
allowed to explore. The time to locate the water was recorded. If mice
in the pre-exposed group learned and remembered where the water was
located, they should have found it faster than the naïve animals.
 |
Genotyping |
The group assignment of each animal (wild-type, heterozygote, or
Pahenu2) was independently confirmed by genotyping.
DNA for genotyping each animal was obtained from 10-15 µl of whole
blood by following the manufacturer's protocol for the Isocode Stix
DNA isolation procedure (Schleicher & Schuell, Keene, NH).
Exon 7 of the Pah gene, the exon mutated in
Pahenu2, was amplified for genotyping. Primer
sequences were as follows: primer 1, 5'-ACTTGTACTGGTTTCCGCCT-3'; and
primer 2, 5'-AGGTGTGTACATGGGCTTAG-3' (Genosys Biotechnologies,
Woodlands, TX). The PCR mix was composed of 1× PCR buffer (containing
2 mM Tris-HCl, pH 8.0, 10 mM KCl, 0.01 mM EDTA, 0.1 mM DTT, 5% glycerol, 0.05% Tween
20, and 0.05% Nonidet P-40), 2.5 mM MgCl2, 2.5 µl of
DMSO, 250 µM dNTPs (Boehringer Mannheim, Mannheim,
Germany), 2.5 U of Taq DNA polymerase (Promega, Madison,
WI), ~100 ng of template, and 1 µM each primer to yield a 50 µl total reaction volume. The PCR was done following the "Hot
Start" PCR procedure. Cycle parameters were 95°C for 5 min, followed by 30 cycles of 1 min at 95°C, 1 min at 60°C, and 1 min at
72°C. Afterward, 20% of the PCR was run on a 7.5% polyacrylamide gel until bromphenol blue reached the bottom of the gel. The gel was stained with Ethidium bromide, destained with deionized water, and
visualized by UV illumination. An amplifier of 132 bp was expected. If the amplification was successful, restriction endonuclease digestion with BsmAl or Alw26I (New England
Biolabs, Beverly, MA) was performed and incubated at 55 or 37°C,
respectively, overnight. The digestion products were run on a
polyacrylamide gel as described above. The diagnostic fragments were as
follows: wild-type, 82 and 50 bp; heterozygote, 82, 50, 48, and 34 bp;
and homozygote, 50, 48, and 34 bp.
 |
RESULTS |
Results for odor discrimination and reversal
There were no age differences on any dependent measure. Therefore,
age was not entered into any of the analyses reported here. Pahenu2 (PKU) mice were not impaired on acquisition
of odor discrimination. Female mice, however, took significantly longer
to acquire the odor discrimination than male mice
(F(2,39) = 5.28; p < 0.03). There were no significant sex by group interactions and no sex differences in performance on reversals. Pahenu2
(PKU) mice were impaired on reversals 2, 3, and 4 of the odor reversal
task, even controlling for sex. Thus, for example, on the number of
days to reach criterion, there was a main effect for group on reversal
2 (F(2,37) = 4.70; p < 0.05), reversal 3 (F(2,34) = 4.14;
p < 0.05), and reversal 4 (F(2,27) = 3.66; p < 0.05)
(Fig. 2A). Using the
Tukey test for post hoc comparisons between each of
the groups, Pahenu2 (PKU) mice took significantly
longer to reach criterion on reversal 2 than wild-type (4.38;
p < 0.03) and heterozygous (6.15; p < 0.01) mice, whereas there were no significant differences between the
performance of wild-type and heterozygous mice.
Pahenu2 (PKU) mice also took significantly longer
than wild-type mice to reach criterion on reversal 3 (6.48;
p < 0.03) and reversal 4 (6.29; p < 0.03). The heterozygous mice performed intermediate between these two
groups and so did not differ significantly from either
Pahenu2 (PKU) or wild-type mice in the number of
days to reach criterion on reversals 3 or 4.

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Figure 2.
Performance of the two control groups [wild-type
and heterozygotes (wild-type crossed with
Pahenu2 [PKU])] and the PKU model animals
(Pahenu2) on odor discrimination and reversal.
The PKU model animals acquired the odor discrimination normally and
performed well on the first reversal. However, as can be seen by the
number of days to reach criterion (A) and by the
percentage of subjects per group to pass criterion
(B), the PKU model animals were performing worse
than the control groups by the last reversals. Criterion was less than
or equal to two errors over 2 consecutive days of testing, or 14 of
16 trials correct. , Wild-type BTBRs; , heterozygotes (wild types
crossed with Pahenu2 PKU); ,
Pahenu2 (PKU).
|
|
Whereas the Pahenu2 (PKU) animals performed
significantly worse on reversals 2-4, this was not true for reversal
1. To investigate whether our failure to find an impairment in the
Pahenu2 (PKU) mice on reversal 1 was
attributable not so much to the good performance of that group
but to the poor performance of a few of the control animals, we re-ran
the analysis omitting the two worst performing animals from the
wild-type and heterozygous groups. Doing that, the main effect for
group in the number of days to reach criterion on reversal 1 was
significant (F(2,32) = 3.37;
p < 0.05), and Tukey post hoc
comparisons showed the PKU model animals to be performing significantly
worse than the wild-type animals (2.86; p < 0.03)
and tending to perform worse than the heterozygous animals (2.81;
p < 0.07).
Pahenu2 (PKU) mice also took significantly longer to
finish four reversals if one considers all of the testing from
acquisition through reversal 4 (Fig. 3).
Thus, there was a main effect for group on the total number of days to
complete testing (F(2,26) = 5.72;
p < 0.01). Using the Tukey test for post
hoc comparisons, Pahenu2 (PKU) mice took
significantly longer than wild-type (15.83; p < 0.01)
and heterozygous (17.33; p < 0.005) mice in the total number to complete testing. No significant difference emerged between
the heterozygous and wild-type groups.

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Figure 3.
Total number of days to complete testing
on odor discrimination and reversal. The PKU model animals took
significantly longer to complete testing. No significant difference
emerged between the heterozygous and wild-type groups. , Wild-type
BTBRs; , heterozygotes (wild types crossed with
Pahenu2 PKU); ,
Pahenu2 (PKU).
|
|
The percentage of Pahenu2 (PKU) mice who passed
reversals 3 and 4 was much lower than the percentages in the two other
groups (percent passing Reversal 3, Pahenu2 (PKU),
70%; heterozygotes, 78%; wild-type, 95%; Reversal 4, Pahenu2 (PKU), 56%; heterozygotes, 75%; wild-type,
88%) (Fig. 2B). However, so few
Pahenu2 (PKU) animals passed earlier reversals that
the number of Pahenu2 (PKU) mice tested on reversals
3 and 4 was too small to yield statistically significant differences
when compared with the other groups. On this measure, as on all other
measures, there was no significant difference between the performance
of wild-type and heterozygous mice.
Evidence that the group effects were not caused by differences in
motivation, activity, or olfactory ability
All animals were kept at 85-90% body weight to ensure they would
be hungry. No animals gave any indication of being unmotivated. The
animals in all groups chose quickly on all trials. The mean latency to
begin digging in the sand was identical for the
Pahenu2 (PKU) mice and the wild-type mice (13.20 sec). No group seemed more active or more lethargic than any other.
The fact that mice in all groups performed well and comparably at the
initial discrimination and initial reversal strongly suggests that the
mice in all groups were able to detect the scents and that the groups
did not differ in this ability. Further evidence that the mice could
smell the scents is the typical behavior of most animals in all three
groups once they began performing well on the initial
discrimination; Mice in all groups would go over to a container of sand
and sniff it before committing to that choice. The olfactory ability of
the mice in all groups was superior to our own, because their
performance during our pilot work indicated that they could smell
chocolate buried in the sand, although we could not. When we hid the
chocolate in only one cap of sand on each trial and randomly varied the
side of the sand with the buried chocolate, the animals in all three
groups chose the correct side better than would be predicted by chance.
For that reason, in the work reported here, we adopted the procedure of
burying chocolate in both caps of sand on each trial.
Results for latent learning
There were no age or sex differences in performance on latent
learning. Therefore, neither age nor gender were entered in the
analyses of group differences on this task.
Pahenu2 (PKU) mice failed to show latent learning
(Fig. 4). That is,
Pahenu2 (PKU) mice pre-exposed to the field and maze
on day 1 did not find the water significantly faster on day 2 when
compared with the naïve PKU animals
(F(1,17) = 1.30; NS). On the other hand, wild-type and heterozygote animals pre-exposed to the field and maze on
day 1 showed a significant benefit from that pre-exposure (they had
learned and remembered where the water was located) compared with the
naïve wild-type or naïve heterozygote animals (wild-type animals, F(1,29) = 6.12;
p < 0.03; heterozygous animals, F(1,30) = 5.33; p < 0.03).
This is not an artifact of any difference in baseline or in reaction to
a novel environment (Fig. 5). There were
no significant differences among the groups in the percentage of
animals not previously exposed to the maze who found the water on day 1 or day 2. There were no significant differences among the groups in
time needed to locate the water by animals not previously exposed to
the maze (F(2,39) = 0.15; NS). There were
no differences between the performance of wild-type and heterozygous
mice on any measure or comparison.

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Figure 4.
Performance of the two control groups
[wild-type and heterozygotes (wild-type crossed with
Pahenu2 [PKU])] and the PKU model animals
(Pahenu2) on latent learning. Although no
animals had been water-deprived on day 1, animals in the two control
groups (heterozygotes and wild-type) who were exposed to the open field
and maze on day 1 remembered where the water was located in the maze
and were able to use that to find the water faster on day 2 than
naïve animals. In contrast, PKU model animals pre-exposed to
the field and maze on day 1 were not able to find the water
significantly faster than naïve PKU model animals. The few
animals in the pre-exposed group who failed to find the water on day 1 are not included in this graph. , Pre-exposed group; ,
naïve group.
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Figure 5.
Performance of naïve animals on their
first exposure to the latent learning environment. There were no
significant differences between the groups in baseline performance.
, Wild-type BTBRs; , heterozygotes (wild-types crossed with
Pahenu2 PKU); ,
Pahenu2 (PKU).
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 |
DISCUSSION |
Discussion of procedural issues
For the odor discrimination and reversal procedure, we
built on and modified a procedure originally developed for rats by Bunsey and Eichenbaum (1996)
and subsequently modified by Libbey et al.
(1996)
and Berger-Sweeney et al. (1998)
for mice. The older procedures
had certain problems, which we have corrected. (1) Some mice adopt the
strategy of simply going to the choice that happens to be closest to
them when the testing apparatus is lowered into their cage. To prevent
this maladaptive strategy, we placed a clear Plexiglas barrier in front
of where the two choices were to be lowered. This forced the mouse
back. The apparatus was lowered, and then the barrier was removed. This
significantly cut down on the time needed to train the mice compared
with our preliminary results using the Berger-Sweeney et al. (1998)
procedure. (2) Before conducting the work reported here, we conducted
control tests (with two choices of sand with the same scent; the
chocolate reward randomly placed in the right or left choice). The
control tests indicated that the mice were able to smell the chocolate, although it was buried deep in the sand and the sand was scented. Therefore, for testing, we hid chocolate at the bottom of both sand
caps. If the mouse chose the wrong cap, we allowed the mouse to dig a
bit and then removed the two caps. Thus, it was impossible to use the
scent of the reward to help guide a response.
(3) In our preliminary work with this procedure, when a mouse made a
wrong choice, the mouse so quickly scurried over to the correct choice
that it had been difficult to prevent the animal from being rewarded,
although the animal's first choice had been incorrect. To prevent the
animal from retrieving the reward from the incorrect cap, we erected a
clear Plexiglas wall between the two choices. The mice responded to
this as we had hoped; they smelled at each choice and only then chose
one of the caps of sand. (4) Before we modified the procedure, mice
were able to cheat by marking the cap of sand with their saliva. To
prevent this strategy, we substituted a new cap with sand of the same scent on the next trial. That is, we never re-used the same cap or sand
in a testing session once a mouse had gone to it. (5) Finally,
Berger-Sweeney et al. (1998)
report that the discrimination on which
they trained mice was sand scented with cinnamon versus sand scented
with curry. In our preliminary work, we found that our mice preferred
cinnamon over curry, and so initial acquisition and reversal were
easier when cinnamon was the S+ (rewarded scent) and harder when
curry was the correct choice. This added noise to the data. After some
experimentation, we found that the scents of cinnamon and nutmeg were
approximately evenly matched for our mice, and thus we used those in
our testing.
Conclusions
PKU causes cognitive deficits in humans if it is
untreated. We have found the first evidence that the genetic mouse
model of PKU exhibits cognitive impairments. PKU mice were impaired on
reversals 2, 3, and 4 of the odor reversal task. PKU mice took longer
to learn each successive reversal. They showed no evidence of having
benefited from previous experience with the task.
PKU mice were also impaired in latent learning. PKU mice found the
water on day 1, as did the wild-type and heterozygote animals pre-exposed on day 1. However, whereas wild-type and heterozygous pre-exposed mice showed evidence that they remembered where the water
was located and could use that to find the water faster on day 2, the
pre-exposed PKU animals did not show a similar savings on day 2. Wild-type and heterozygous mice who were exposed to the location of the
water on day 1 found it significantly faster on day 2 than
naïve animals. PKU mice, however, who found the water on day 1 did not find the water significantly faster on day 2 than naïve
PKU animals. They showed no significant benefit from their pre-exposure
on the preceding day.
These cognitive deficits, although significant, were not incapacitating
and do not seem to constitute profound mental retardation. For
example, the PKU model animals were able to learn odor discrimination (although they were significantly impaired on reversals 2-4), and most
were able to find water in the open field plus T-maze (although they
showed little or no benefit from the exposure of the previous days). It
may be difficult to obtain evidence of major cognitive deficits in mice
because at least a few "normal" mice do not appear to be very
bright, at least not on the laboratory tasks correctly in use by
behavioral neuroscientists. Thus, when the two worst performing animals
from our wild-type and heterozygous control groups were omitted from
the analysis, it could be clearly seen that the PKU model mice were
performing significantly worse than most of the mice in the comparison
groups. Against a background of relatively poor performance in at least
some normal mice, it may be difficult to find dramatically worse
performance in "retarded" mice.
Investigators working with a genetic mouse model of another disorder
that causes mental retardation, Fragile X, have obtained results of
cognitive deficits quite comparable with what we have found here
(Dutch-Belgian Fragile X Consortium, 1994
). Using the Morris
water maze, they found that their mutant animals learned to find the
hidden platform at the same rate as their normal littermates and showed
comparable spatial memory of the location of the platform. However,
when the position of the platform was changed on reversal trials, the
Fragile X model mice were significantly impaired. Thus, in these two
genetic mouse models of conditions that cause mental retardation in
humans, PKU and Fragile X, the mutant mice showed normal learning of
the initial condition but were impaired on reversals. Persons with
mental retardation similarly can learn simple discriminations
but show impairments when discriminations are reversed (House
and Zeaman, 1962
).
In addition to their cognitive deficits, the PKU model animals were
extremely reactive to stress. For that reason, we went to considerable
lengths to minimize stress in our procedures. Some of the PKU model
animals never acclimated to human touch, even when we introduced this
daily beginning during the first week of life. Therefore, the mice used
in this study were handled as little as possible and were not touched
during testing. We tested them on odor discrimination and reversal in
their home cages and transported them to the latent learning apparatus
in a small Plexiglas transport box that they could enter and leave without human touch. Many investigators use escape from aversive conditions (e.g., water mazes) as the reward when testing mice. In
preliminary work, we found that our PKU mice were so stressed by being
placed in water that they froze rather than trying to escape. We have
used food and water rewards in the work reported here.
 |
FOOTNOTES |
Received Feb. 4, 1999; revised April 6, 1999; accepted May 4, 1999.
This work was supported by National Institute of Child Health and Human
Development Grants R01 HD34346 and HD35453 to A.D., and by National
Science Foundation Grant EPS-9550487 and matching funds from the state
of Kansas to D.M. We thank Camellia Symonowicz for taking such good
care of our animals and for help in breeding them, Michelle Michalak
and Gabrielle White for technical assistance, and the New England
Newborn Screening Program at the University of Massachusetts Medical
Center (headed by Donna Johnson) for HPLC analyses of amino acid
levels. William Dube and Jason Langlois collaborated with us in
pretesting the procedures for the odor discrimination and reversals
tests used here.
Correspondence should be addressed to Adele Diamond, Director, Center
for Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, Eunice Kennedy Shriver
Center, 200 Trapelo Road, Waltham, MA 02452.
 |
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