Figure 4.

Increased affiliative behaviors in Rines KO mice. A, Contact between Rines KO and unfamiliar C57BL/6J mice in a novel environment. In the computer analysis, each mouse was represented by a particle. Particle numbers 2 and 1 indicate the statuses of separated and contacted, respectively. The mean particle numbers, as contacts with a social target, were calculated for each time bin (1 h). Rines KO mice showed a significant increase in the duration of contact with unfamiliar mice compared with WT mice. WT, n = 10; KO, n = 10; *p < 0.05, Student's t test or Welch's t test. B, Resident-intruder test. The bar graph shows the time spent in investigation (e.g., sniffing and following) of WT or KO mice (resident) to intruder mice (BALB/c male mice). Rines KO mice showed a significant increase in the duration of social investigation compared with WT mice. WT, n = 10; KO, n = 10; *p < 0.05, Student's t test.