Partners

Participant 4

Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Partner 4:
Laboratory of Biological Psychology, University of Leuven, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium

Key skills:
Behavioural assessment techniques in transgenic mice, behavioural phenomics

Laboratory (Clinical) background and technical information:
The Laboratory of Biological Psychology (LBP) is part of the Psychology Faculty at Leuven University (K.U.Leuven). LBP is a multidisciplinary research group that integrates techniques and expertise from behavioural neuroscience and electrophysiology in a multidisciplinary approach to the (preclinical) investigation of the mechanisms of neural and behavioural plasticity, complex learning, and the pathophysiology and treatment of metabolic and neurodegenerative brain disorders. The laboratory is equiped with state-of-the-art apparatus for the automated or semi-automated assessment of different functional aspects of complex rodent behavior, including spatial and discriminatory learning, appetitively and aversively motivated operant conditioning, and extinction learning. Electrophysiological techniques include synaptic plasticity recordings in hippocampal and neocortical brain slices, multi-unit recordings to investigate neocortical mechanisms of visual information processing and memory, and in vivo brain recordings of hippocampal synaptic plasticity. The scientific staff of LBP consists of experienced behavioural neuroscientists and electrophysiologists who have been involved with some of the pioneering work about the use of transgenic mice in behavioural neuroscience, (glutamatergic) mechanisms of neuroplasticity, and possible treatment of brain disorders.

Capacity to contribute to the project:
All necessary equipment, facilities and expertise are available to investigate the efficacy of preclinical therapeutic manipulations in LAMAN-deficient mice. Animals are housed in certified facilities; general and specific behavioural and electrophysiological techniques are established in the laboratory. Where necessary, modification of described techniques, development or adaptation of novel functional techniques, and specialized behavioural data analysis will be included by the research team. Other expert groups at the Psychology Department of Leuven University might be consulted about data analysis or test development.

Personnel involved:

Rudi D’Hooge (Dr Psychol, Dr Biomed; M), full professor, Laboratory head; RD has already participated in the HUE-MAN network and will supervise the functional behavioural and electrophysiological assessment following therapeutic manipulations in LAMAN-deficient mice.
N.N. (behavioural neuroscientist; M/F), postdoctoral researcher, responsible for the experiments involving behavioural assessment of the effects of therapeutic outcome in LAMAN-deficient mice. Apart from supervising the maintenance of the mouse colony, this specialist person will perform the advanced behavioural assessment, therapeutic manipulations and electrophysiological measuments.
Leen Van Aerschot (Bachelor in Laboratory Technology; F), lab technician (24pm) will be involved in routine maintenance & logistics of mouse colony, support of labour-intensive behavioural observation techniques.

Key Publications:

Hess B., Saftig P., Hartmann D., Coenen R., Lüllmann-Rauch R., Goebel H., Evers M., von Figura K., D´Hooge R., Nagels G., De Deyn P., Peters C., Gieselmann V. (1996). Phenotype of arylsulfatase A deficient mice: relationship to human metachromatic leukodystrophy. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 93, 14821-14826.
R. D’Hooge, D. Van Dam, F. Franck, V. Gieselmann & P.P. De Deyn (2001) Hyperactivity, neuromotor defects, and impaired learning and memory in a mouse model for metachromatic leukodystrophy. Brain Research 907: 35-43.
U. Matzner, F. Schestag, D. Hartmann, R. Lüllmann-Rauch, R. D’Hooge, P.P. De Deyn & V. Gieselmann (2001) Bone marrow stem cell gene therapy of arylsulfatase A-deficient mice using an arylsulfatase A mutant that is hypersecreted from retrovirally transduced donor-type cells. Human Gene Therapy 12: 1021-1033.
U. Matzner, D. Hartmann, R. Lüllmann-Rauch, R. Coenen, F. Rothert, J.E. Mansson, P. Fredman, R. D’Hooge, P.P. De Deyn & V. Gieselmann (2002) Bone marrow stem cell-based gene transfer in a mouse model for metachromatic leukodystrophy: effects on visceral and nervous system disease manifestations. Gene Therapy 9: 53-63