Fig. 2
From: Shank3 deficiency elicits autistic-like behaviors by activating p38α in hypothalamic AgRP neurons
p38α overexpression in ARC is sufficient to elicit excessive stereotypic behavior and impaired sociability in WT mice. A. Immunofluorescence staining of DAPI (blue, 405 nm), p38α (green, 488 nm, FITC), and Neun (red, 561 nm, TRITC) in ARC. B. Schematic and immunofluorescence image of the AAV9-p38αflox/flox and AAV9-Agrp-Cre mix injection to ARC in WT mice, green fluorescent protein (GFP, 488 nm) represents virus expression. C and D. Groom time and bouts in 24 h of p38αARC−con and p38αARC−OE mice. E. The first phase of the three-chamber test, the time of p38αARC−con and p38αARC−OE mice in stranger1 chamber. F. The second phase of the three-chamber test, the time of p38αARC−con and p38αARC−OE mice in stranger2 chamber. G. Total distance in 24 h of p38αARC−con and p38αARC−OE mice. H. Activity time in 24 h of p38αARC−con and p38αARC−OE mice. 10-week-old WT male mice were injected with virus. The injection site is in the ARC area as an inclusion criterion. 12 injected mice in the p38αARC−con group, 3 mice were excluded and 9 mice were included in the experiment. 11 injected mice in the p38αARC−OE group, 3 mice were excluded and 8 mice were included in the experiment. Home-Cage monitoring test was performed 6 weeks after virus injection, three-chamber test was performed 8 weeks after virus injection. Statistical analysis: data were analyzed using unpaired two-tailed Student’s t-test (Prism9, GraphPad Software Inc.). Data were represented as Mean ± SD. Significance levels are indicated with *p < 0.05.