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Authors & Affiliations
Hadrien Glibert, Laure Bridoux, Olivier Schakman, Catherine Rasse, Françoise Gofflot
Abstract
HOXA5 is a transcription factor, member of the HOX family and important player of the embryonic development. However, its postnatal role in the precerebellar nuclei of the hindbrain, its anteriormost expression domain, has not been characterized. Based on transcriptomics analysis of this specific brain region at postnatal stage, we hypothesized that HOXA5 may act as a regulator of synaptogenesis, a process involving synapse establishment and maturation. Interestingly, the early postnatal period corresponds to the window during which the precerebellar circuitry goes through synaptogenesis.In this work, to test the importance of HOXA5 on the functions of the precerebellar system we inactivated the Hoxa5 gene at birth using the Tamoxifen-inducible Cre/LoxP system. Here are presented the results of the subsequent behavioral characterization of this model. As the precerebellar system provides the main input to the cerebellum, tests were designed to assess both motor and non-motor functions of this structure. In conclusion of these analyses, we will illustrate that Hoxa5 inactivation did not lead to motor learning or coordination impairment, while stereotypical and sociability-related behaviors were impacted.