A Humanized Version of Foxp2 Affects Cortico-Basal Ganglia Circuits in Mice

作者：Enard Wolfgang^*; Gehre Sabine; Hammerschmidt Kurt; Hoelter Sabine M; Blass Torsten; Somel Mehmet; Brueckner Martina K; Schreiweis Christiane; Winter Christine; Sohr Reinhard; Becker Lore; Wiebe Victor; Nickel Birgit; Giger Thomas; Mueller Uwe; Groszer Matthias; Adler Thure; Aguilar Antonio; Bolle Ines; Calzada Wack Julia; Dalke Claudia; Ehrhardt Nicole; Favor Jack; Fuchs Helmut; Gailus Durner Valerie; Hans Wolfgang; Hoelzlwimmer Gabriele; Javaheri Anahita

来源：Cell, 2009, 137(5): 961-971.

DOI：10.1016/j.cell.2009.03.041

It has been proposed that two amino acid substitutions in the transcription factor FOXP2 have been positively selected during human evolution due to effects on aspects of speech and language. Here, we introduce these substitutions into the endogenous Foxp2 gene of mice. Although these mice are generally healthy, they have qualitatively different ultrasonic vocalizations, decreased exploratory behavior and decreased dopamine concentrations in the brain suggesting that the humanized Foxp2 allele affects basal ganglia. In the striatum, a part of the basal ganglia affected in humans with a speech deficit due to a nonfunctional FOXP2 allele, we find that medium spiny neurons have increased dendrite lengths and increased synaptic plasticity. Since mice carrying one nonfunctional Foxp2 allele show opposite effects, this suggests that alterations in cortico-basal ganglia circuits might have been important for the evolution of speech and language in humans.
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• 出版日期2009-5-29
• 单位河北医科大学