SOCIAL-INTERACTION AND SENSORIMOTOR GATING ABNORMALITIES IN MICE LACKING DVL1

Mice completely deficient for Dvl1, one of three mouse homologs of the Drosophila segment polarity gene Dishevelled, were created by gene ta rgeting. Dv1-deficient mice are viable, fertile, and structurally norm al. Surprisingly, these mice exhibited reduced social interaction, inc luding differences in whisker trimming, deficits in nest-building, les s huddling contact during home cage sleeping, and subordinate response s in a social dominance test. Sensorimotor gating was abnormal, as mea sured by deficits in prepulse inhibition of acoustic and tactile start le. Thus, Dv1 mutants may provide a model for aspects of several human psychiatric disorders. These results are consistent with an interpret ation that common genetic mechanisms underlie abnormal social behavior and sensorimotor gating deficits and implicate Dvl1 in processes unde rlying complex behaviors.