Gamma (γ) synuclein is a member of the family of synucleins, which are cytoplasmic, predominantly, neuronal, proteins found only in vertebrates. Significant quantities of γ-synuclein are found in the axons and presynaptic terminals of neurons located in brain areas responsible for forming emotions and memory. However, the involvement of γ-synucleins in controlling neuronal and synaptic processes underlying various types of behavior in humans and animals have not yet been studied. We provide the first demonstration that the absence of γ-synuclein increases orientational-investigative activity in a novel context and decreases the level of situational anxiety in animals.
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Translated from Zhurnal Vysshei Nervnoi Deyatel’nosti imeni I. P. Pavlova, Vol. 61, No. 1, pp. 85–93, January–February, 2011.
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Kokhan, V.S., Bolkunov, A.V., Ustiugov, A.A. et al. Targeted Inactivation of the Gene Encoding Gamma-Synuclein Affects Anxiety Levels and Investigative Activity in Mice. Neurosci Behav Physi 42, 575–581 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11055-012-9603-1
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11055-012-9603-1