Selective deletion of forebrain glycogen synthase kinase 3β reveals a central role in serotonin-sensitive anxiety and social behaviour

Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci. 2012 Sep 5;367(1601):2460-74. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0094.

Abstract

Serotonin (5-HT) neurotransmission is thought to underlie mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, depression, autism and schizophrenia. Independent studies have indicated that 5-HT or drugs acting on 5-HT neurotransmission regulate the serine/threonine kinase glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β). Furthermore, GSK3β inhibition rescues behavioural abnormalities in 5-HT-deficient mice with a loss-of-function mutation equivalent to the human variant (R441H) of tryptophan hydroxylase 2. In an effort to define neuroanatomical correlates of GSK3β activity in the regulation of behaviour, we generated CamKIIcre-floxGSK3β mice in which the gsk3b gene is postnatally inactivated in forebrain pyramidal neurons. Behavioural characterization showed that suppression of GSK3β in these brain areas has anxiolytic and pro-social effects. However, while a global reduction of GSK2β expression reduced responsiveness to amphetamine and increased resilience to social defeat, these behavioural effects were not found in CamKIIcre-floxGSK3β mice. These findings demonstrate a dissociation of behavioural effects related to GSK3 inhibition, with forebrain GSK3β being involved in the regulation of anxiety and sociability while social preference, resilience and responsiveness to psychostimulants would involve a function of this kinase in subcortical areas such as the hippocampus and striatum.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amphetamine / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Anti-Anxiety Agents / metabolism
  • Anxiety / metabolism
  • Anxiety / physiopathology*
  • Enzyme Activation
  • Female
  • Gene Deletion
  • Gene Silencing
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / genetics
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / metabolism*
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mood Disorders / metabolism
  • Mood Disorders / physiopathology
  • Motor Activity
  • Prosencephalon / drug effects
  • Prosencephalon / enzymology
  • Prosencephalon / physiopathology*
  • Serotonin / genetics
  • Serotonin / metabolism*
  • Social Behavior*
  • Swimming

Substances

  • Anti-Anxiety Agents
  • Serotonin
  • Amphetamine
  • GSK3B protein, human
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta
  • Gsk3b protein, mouse
  • Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3