ABNORMALITIES OF SENSORY AND MEMORY FUNCTIONS IN MICE LACKING BSG GENE

Basigin is a highly glycosylated transmembrane protein belonging to th e immunoglobulin superfamily. We used mutant mice lacking the basigin gene (Bsg) to investigate its involvement in learning and memory. Muta tions were generated by the gene targeting method. Various kinds of le arning and memory tasks were performed in mutant, hetero and wild type mice. The mutant mice showed worse performance than the wild and hete ro mice in the Y-maze task, which assesses short-term memory, and in t he water finding task, which examines latent learning, without any mo tor dysfunction. Moreover, the mutant mice showed less acclimation in the habituation task compared with the wild type mice. The mutant mice were also more sensitive to electric foot-shock. These findings are c onsistent with the expression profile of basigin in the central nervou s system. Thus, basigin may play an important role in learning and mem ory as well as in the sensory functions. (C) 1997 Academic Press.