Neurological abnormalities in caveolin-1 knock out mice

Behav Brain Res. 2006 Sep 15;172(1):24-32. doi: 10.1016/j.bbr.2006.04.024. Epub 2006 Jun 5.

Abstract

Caveolin-1 is the defining structural protein in caveolar vesicles, which regulate signal transduction and cholesterol trafficking in cells. In the brain, cav-1 is highly expressed in neurons and glia, but its function in those cell types is unclear. Mice deficient in cav-1 (CavKO) have been developed to test functional roles for cav-1 in various tissues. However, neurological phenotypes associated with loss of cav-1 in mice have not been evaluated. Here, we report the results of motor and behavioral testing of CavKO mice. We find that mice deficient in cav-1 have reduced brain weight and display a number of motor and behavioral abnormalities. CavKO mice develop neurological phenotypes including clasping, abnormal spinning, muscle weakness, reduced activity, and gait abnormalities. These data suggest that cav-1 is involved in maintaining cortico-striato-pallido-thalamo-pontine pathways associated with motor control.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aging / physiology
  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western
  • Brain / pathology
  • Caveolin 1 / genetics*
  • Fertility / genetics
  • Fertility / physiology
  • Gait
  • Growth / genetics
  • Growth / physiology
  • Longevity / genetics
  • Longevity / physiology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Motor Activity / physiology
  • Nerve Degeneration / pathology
  • Nervous System Malformations / genetics*
  • Nervous System Malformations / pathology*
  • Neurons / pathology
  • Organ Size / physiology
  • Phenotype
  • Survival Analysis

Substances

  • Caveolin 1