Impaired social interactions and motor learning skills in tuberous sclerosis complex model mice expressing a dominant/negative form of tuberin

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic disorder characterized by the development of hamartomas in multiple organs. Neurological manifestation includes cortical dysplasia, epilepsy, and cognitive deficits such as mental impairment and autism. We measured the impact of TSC2-GAP mutations on cognitive processes and behavior in, Delta RG transgenic mice that express a dominant/negative TSC2 that binds to TSC1, but has mutations affecting its GAP domain and its rabaptin-5 binding motif, resulting in inactivation of the TSC1/2 complex. We performed a behavioral characterization of the Delta RG transgenic mice and found that they display mild, but significant impairments in social behavior and rotarod motor learning. These findings suggest that the Delta RG transgenic mice recapitulate some behavioral abnormalities observed in human TSC patients. (C) 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.