Shatkhin, Steven L.

Dopaminergic dysfunction has been implicated in various neuropsychiatric disorders including autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The dopamine transporter (DAT) is responsible for the reuptake of synaptic dopamine and critical dopaminergic signaling. The DAT Val550 mutation, a mutation identified in two boys with ASD, drives an aberrant dopamine efflux into the synaptic cleft and leads to alterations in dopamine homeostasis in DAT Val559 mice. Previous research found that DAT Val559 mice display unique patterns of social behavior that are dependent on sex. Here we explore the effects that sex and age have on sociability and look at the level of differential effect that sulpiride, a D-2 receptor antagonist, has on the social and anxiety behaviors of the DAT Val559 mice. Our results show distinct impacts of sulpiride on the behavior of wild type or DAT Val559 mutant mice that are dependent on the sex and age of the mice. To fully understand neuropsychiatric disorders, we need to consider the further effects that age and sex have on neurophysiology.