Erratum: Disruption of the non-canonical Wnt gene PRICKLE2 leads to autism-like behaviors with evidence for hippocampal synaptic dysfunction

Abstract

Author Contributions: LPS contributed to all experiments, planning, and writing of the paper. LL performed all in vitro electrophysiology. YW performed in vivo electrophysiology. LL, LPS and DPM analyzed all the electrophysiology data. EC performed mouse behavioral experiments. YMU and JU performed a part of primary hippocampal neuron cultures. SW performed western blot experiments. JRM, HEL, LP, TW, XY and KM aided in the collection and sequencing of human DNA. PF, NU and SW conducted production and breeding of mice of different genotypes used in this study. AJS assisted in all immunocytochemistry experiments and analysis. GBR, DPM, and JM provided reagents, supervised experiments and analysis, and aided in manuscript writing. JAW provided all behavioral equipment. JAW and DPM provided scientific input to the study design. BWD provided statistical analysis for whole exome sequencing data. All authors contributed to the writing of this manuscript. AGB supervised all aspects of the project design, execution and writing of the paper. The datasets used for the analysis described in this manuscript were obtained from dbGaP at http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gap through dbGaP accession number phs000298.v1.p1, under dbGAP Research Project #4357 (Variation in PRICKLE2 and related Genes in Autism) to AGB. The data set(s) were deposited by the ARRA Autism Sequencing Collaborative, an ARRA funded research initiative. AbstractAutism spectrum disorders (ASDs) have been suggested to arise from abnormalities in the canonical and non-canonical Wnt signaling pathways. However, a direct connection between a human variant in a Wnt pathway gene and ASD-relevant brain pathology has not been established. Prickle2 (Pk2) is a post-synaptic non-canonical Wnt signaling protein shown to interact with post synaptic density 95 (PSD-95). Here we show that mice with disruption in Prickle2 display behavioral abnormalities including altered social interaction, learning abnormalities, and behavioral inflexibility. Prickle2 disruption in mouse hippocampal neurons led to reductions in dendrite branching, synapse number, and post-synaptic density size. Consistent with these findings, Prickle2 null neurons show decreased frequency and size of spontaneous miniature synaptic currents. These behavioral and physiological abnormalities in Prickle2 disrupted mice are consistent with ASD-like phenotypes present in other mouse models of ASDs. In 384 individuals with autism, we identified two with distinct, heterozygous, rare, non-synonymous PRICKLE2 variants (p.E8Q and p.V153I) that were shared by their affected siblings and inherited paternally. Unlike wild-type PRICKLE2, the PRICKLE2 variants found in ASD patients exhibit deficits in morphological and electrophysiological assays. These data suggest that these PRICKLE2 variants cause a critical loss of PRICKLE2 function. The data presented here provide new insight into the biological roles of Prickle2, its behavioral importance, and suggest disruptions in non-canonical Wnt genes such as PRICKLE2 may contribu...