Table 1.
General health, reflexes, sensory abilities, motor functions
| Genotypes | +/+ (N = 19) | +/− (N = 27) | −/− (N = 22) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fur condition (3 point scale) | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Bald patches (%) | 5.2 | 0 | 0 |
| Missing whiskers (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Piloerection (%) | 3.7 | 3.7 | 22.7 |
| Body tone (3 point scale) | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Limb tone (3 point scale) | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Physical abnormalities (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Body weight (g) males | 26.8 ± 0.85 | 28.7 ± 0.65 | 27.2 ± 0.92 |
| Body weight (g) females | 21.2 ± 0.36 | 21.7 ± 0.32 | 20.7 ± 0.45 |
| Body temperature (°C) | 32.3 ± 0.31 | 32.5 ± 0.29 | 33.0 ± 0.32 |
| Empty cage behavior | |||
| Transfer freezing (%) | 5.3 | 0 | 13.6 |
| Wild running (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Stereotypies (%) | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Exploration (3 point scale) | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Motoric abilities | |||
| Trunk curl (%) | 94.7 | 96.3 | 100 |
| Wire hang (latency) (s) | 54.2 ± 5.78 | 58.2 ± 1.82 | 52.8 ± 4.80 |
| Reflexes | |||
| Forepaw reach (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Righting reflex (%) | 100 | 100 | 95.5 |
| Corneal (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Pinna (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Vibrissae (%) | 100 | 100 | 100 |
| Reactivity | |||
| Auditory startle (%) | 94.7 | 100 | 95.5 |
| Struggle (%) | 31.6 | 33.3 | 31.8 |
| Dowel biting (%) | 0.58 ± 0.16 | 0.63 ± 0.12 | 0.68 ± 0.17 |
| Grip strength | N = 9 | N = 12 | N = 14 |
| 108.4 ± 4.8 | 109.3 ± 2.1 | 107.1 ± 3.6 | |
| Open-field exploration | N = 11 | N = 15 | N = 17 |
| Total distance | 1646.6 ± 153.0 | 1512.7 ± 99.0 | 1371.6 ± 78.1 |
| Horizontal activity | 3133.5 ± 207.9 | 2994.5 ± 128.8 | 2561.1 ± 127.3* |
| Vertical activity | 104.2 ± 13.3 | 101.6 ± 10.7 | 102.5 ± 10.7 |
| Center time (s) | 89.6 ± 7.6 | 100.2 ± 7.7 | 106.8 ± 9.6 |
| Foot print test | N = 11 | N = 11 | N = 9 |
| Forepaw width | 1.43 ± 0.11 | 1.58 ± 0.08 | 1.44 ± 0.12 |
| Hindpaw width | 2.35 ± 0.14 | 2.39 ± 0.12 | 2.39 ± 0.08 |
| Stride length | 6.97 ± 0.17 | 6.65 ± 0.19 | 7.55 ± 0.19 |
Normal general health, neurological reflexes, grip strength, locomotor activities, and gait functions were seen in adults of all genotypes of Shank3 mice. Data in Table 1 display the absence of genotype differences in general health measures for Cohort 1, with the exception of grip strength. Similarly, no genotype differences were detected across the three genotypes on measures of general health and neurological reflexes in Cohort 2, or in either genotype of the WT-HET cohort. Cohort 2 and the WT-HET cohort were not tested for footprint gait. Genotype differences were found on several measures of open field locomotor activity in Cohort 2 (see Results for F and p values).
*p < 0.05 compared with +/+.