Molecular Pain (Aug 2005)

Genetic alteration of anxiety and stress-like behavior in mice lacking CaMKIV

  • Kaang Bong-Kiun,
  • Lee Yong-Seok,
  • Ko Shanelle W,
  • Shum Fanny WF,
  • Zhuo Min

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-8069-1-22
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 1, no. 1
p. 22

Abstract

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Abstract Calcium-calmodulin-dependent protein kinase IV (CaMKIV) phosphorylates the major transcription factor cyclic AMP-response element binding protein (CREB), which plays a role in emotional behavior. Here, CaMKIV knockout mice (CaMKIV-/-) were tested in a battery of stress and anxiety-related behavioral tests, to determine if CaMKIV plays a role in emotional behavior. CaMKIV-/-exhibited a decrease in anxiety-like behavior in both the elevated plus maze and dark-light emergence tests when compared to wild-type mice. Both the acoustic startle response and prepulse inhibition of startle were decreased with the deletion of CaMKIV. In addition, CaMKIV-/- mice displayed a lack of stress-induced analgesia following restraint or cold swim stress. Our results demonstrate a key role for CaMKIV in anxiety and stress-related behavior.

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