Gender-specific behavioral features of juvenile and adult haploinsufficientScn2a+/−female mice, model of Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

AbstractVariants of theSCN2Agene, encoding the NaV1.2 sodium channel, cause a spectrum of neurodevelopmental and epileptic disorders, and are among those that show the strongest association with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). ASD has a male-bias prevalence, but several studies have proposed that female prevalence may be underestimated due to different symptomatic expression compared with males. However, it is unclear whether this is related to actual different pathological features or to greater masking abilities in females.Studies onScn2a+/−mice, a model ofSCN2Ahaploinsufficiency and ASD, have shown an age-dependent ASD-like phenotype attenuated at adulthood in males. However, little is known about the behavioral features ofScn2a+/−female mice. We performed a battery of behavioral tests that are relevant for assessing ASD-like features, investigating juvenile and adultScn2a+/−female mice.Our results demonstrate that femaleScn2a+/−mice exhibit an overall milder phenotype than males, showing increased sociability and increased risk taking in juveniles, hyper-reactivity to cold stimuli in adults, altered decision-making related behaviors in both. Thus, this is consistent with the male-bias prevalence of ASD and the existence of different ASD phenotypic features in males and females. Both genders should be investigated in studies of mouse models of ASD.