White matter abnormalities in the Hdc knockout mouse, a model of tic and OCD pathophysiology

INTRODUCTION: An inactivating mutation in the MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed exploratory RNA-seq to identify pathological alterations in several brain regions in RESULTS: Exploratory RNA-Seq analysis revealed, unexpectedly, that genes associated with oligodendrocytes and with myelin production are upregulated in the dorsal striatum of these mice. This was confirmed by qPCR, immunostaining, and immunoblotting. These results suggest an abnormality in myelination in the striatum. To test this in an intact mouse brain, we performed whole-brain DISCUSSION: While the DTI literature in individuals with TS is sparse, these results are consistent with findings of disrupted descending cortical projections in patients with tics. Th