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Brevican-Deficient Mice Display Impaired Hippocampal CA1 Long-Term Potentiation but Show No Obvious Deficits in Learning and Memory

Department of Molecular Medicine, Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry, 82152 Martinsried,¹ Department of Neurochemistry and Molecular Biology,³ Neurogenetics Research Group, Leibniz Institute for Neurobiology, 39118 Magdeburg,⁶ Institute for Anatomy, University of Münster, 48149 Münster, Germany,⁵ Department of Experimental Pathology,² Department of Neurology, Lund University Hospital, 22185 Lund, Sweden⁴

Received 17 April 2002/ Returned for modification 10 June 2002/ Accepted 16 July 2002

Brevican is a brain-specific proteoglycan which is found in specialized extracellular matrix structures called perineuronal nets. Brevican increases the invasiveness of glioma cells in vivo and has been suggested to play a role in central nervous system fiber tract development. To study the role of brevican in the development and function of the brain, we generated mice lacking a functional brevican gene. These mice are viable and fertile and have a normal life span. Brain anatomy was normal, although alterations in the expression of neurocan were detected. Perineuronal nets formed but appeared to be less prominent in mutant than in wild-type mice. Brevican-deficient mice showed significant deficits in the maintenance of hippocampal long-term potentiation (LTP). However, no obvious impairment of excitatory and inhibitory synaptic transmission was found, suggesting a complex cause for the LTP defect. Detailed behavioral analysis revealed no statistically significant deficits in learning and memory. These data indicate that brevican is not crucial for brain development but has restricted structural and functional roles.

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