Assessment of Psychomotor Performance In αCamk-Ii-4R Tau Mice: An Insight Into Human Tauopathies

Abstract

Background: Tauopathies comprise of a group of senile neurodegenerative disorders that grossly affect memory and compromise motor activity. Early diagnosis and specific treatment of tauopathies remains a challenge for neuroscientists. Hyperphosphorylation of tau, a key microtubule-associated protein, has been confirmed to be responsible for characteristic pathological findings in these disorders. Aim: The objective of this study is to analyze the behavioral changes and motor performance of the four-repeat (4R) tau (with R406W mutation) rodent model induced by αCaMK-II promoter in order to understand the pathophysiology of human tauopathies. Materials & methods: Wild-type (n = 24) and 24 αCaMK-II-4R tau (transgenic; n = 24) mice were selected for the study. Each mouse was subjected to a series of behavioral tests, specifically, the accelerated rotarod, open field, elevated plus maze, light/dark transition and forced swimming tests. Results: The wild-type mice outperformed the transgenic mice in locomotor ability, cognition, learning and adaptability. The αCaMK-II-4R tau mice developed a greater degree of anxiety and depression compared with wild-type mice. Conclusion: The cognitive and behavioral aspects of αCaMK-II-4R tau mice obtained from this study can be projected to various tauopathies in general and certain sporadic forms of Alzheimer‘s disease in particular, thus providing a critical in vivo model for determining the role of aberrant tau in neurodegeneration.

Keywords:

• αCaMK-II-4R tau
• accelerated rotarod test
• cognition
• elevated plus maze test
• forced swimming test
• open field test
• transgenic

Financial and competing interests disclosure

This work was supported by the Faculty Research Grant Program, National Institute of Technology and Brain Science Institute (Tokyo, Japan). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.

Ethical conduct of research

The authors state that they have obtained appropriate institutional review board approval or have followed the principles outlined in the Declaration of Helsinki for all human or animal experimental investigations. In addition, for investigations involving human subjects, informed consent has been obtained from the participants involved.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Faculty Research Grant Program, National Institute of Technology and Brain Science Institute (Tokyo, Japan). The authors have no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.