Gene expression in nucleus accumbens tissue of Foxp2 heterozygous mice (S321X/+) and wild-type littermates (WT) following single cocaine or saline injection

Foxp2 heterozygous mice and wildtype mice were injected with cocaine or saline, 1h post-injection nucleus acumbens RNA was extracted and analysed We have tested a potential role for the transcription factor Foxp2 in dopamine signaling and reward associated synaptic plasticity and behavior. We found that Foxp2 is acutely downregulated in reward associated circuits in the nucleus accumbens following a single injection of cocaine. In Foxp2 heterozygous mutant mice, loss of transcriptional suppression by Foxp2 causes an increased constitutive expression of dopamine signaling related genes which corresponds with impairments in synaptic plasticity and reward associated behaviors. Nucleus accumbens tissue was extracted 1 hour after injection (i.p.) of either saline or cocaine (15mg/kg). mRNA microarrays (Illumina MouseWG-6 v2) were used to analyzed gene expression in biological replicates (6 for WT cocain, 6 for WT saline, 5 for HET (S321X/+) saline, 6 for HET (S321X/+) cocain).