A Foxp2 Mutation Implicated in Human Speech Deficits Alters Sequencing of Ultrasonic Vocalizations in Adult Male Mice.
Abstract
Development of proficient spoken language skills is disrupted by mutations of the
FOXP2 transcription factor. A heterozygous missense mutation in the KE family causes
speech apraxia, involving difficulty producing words with complex learned sequences
of syllables. Manipulations in songbirds have helped to elucidate the role of this
gene in vocal learning, but findings in non-human mammals have been limited or inconclusive.
Here, we performed a systematic study of ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs) of adult
male mice carrying the KE family mutation. Using novel statistical tools, we found
that Foxp2 heterozygous mice did not have detectable changes in USV syllable acoustic
structure, but produced shorter sequences and did not shift to more complex syntax
in social contexts where wildtype animals did. Heterozygous mice also displayed a
shift in the position of their rudimentary laryngeal motor cortex (LMC) layer-5 neurons.
Our findings indicate that although mouse USVs are mostly innate, the underlying contributions
of FoxP2 to sequencing of vocalizations are conserved with humans.
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https://hdl.handle.net/10161/15592Published Version (Please cite this version)
10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00197Publication Info
Chabout, Jonathan; Sarkar, Abhra; Patel, Sheel R; Radden, Taylor; Dunson, David B;
Fisher, Simon E; & Jarvis, Erich D (2016). A Foxp2 Mutation Implicated in Human Speech Deficits Alters Sequencing of Ultrasonic
Vocalizations in Adult Male Mice. Front Behav Neurosci, 10. pp. 197. 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00197. Retrieved from https://hdl.handle.net/10161/15592.This is constructed from limited available data and may be imprecise. To cite this
article, please review & use the official citation provided by the journal.
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David B. Dunson
Arts and Sciences Distinguished Professor of Statistical Science
My research focuses on developing new tools for probabilistic learning from complex
data - methods development is directly motivated by challenging applications in ecology/biodiversity,
neuroscience, environmental health, criminal justice/fairness, and more. We seek
to develop new modeling frameworks, algorithms and corresponding code that can be
used routinely by scientists and decision makers. We are also interested in new inference
framework and in studying theoretical properties
Erich David Jarvis
Adjunct Professor in the Deptartment of Neurobiology
Dr. Jarvis' laboratory studies the neurobiology of vocal communication. Emphasis is
placed on the molecular pathways involved in the perception and production of learned
vocalizations. They use an integrative approach that combines behavioral, anatomical,
electrophysiological and molecular biological techniques. The main animal model used
is songbirds, one of the few vertebrate groups that evolved the ability to learn vocalizations.
The generality of the discoveries is tested in other vocal lear
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