Fig. 4: A threshold of Shank3-unedited neurons to obtain normal social memory exists.

a Schematic illustration of the injection of Shank3-cKO-EV into vCA1. b-c. Representative confocal microscopy image of a Shank3-cKO-EV injected vCA1 24 h following injection (b) and 5 weeks after injection (c). Scale bar = 500 μm. d Shank3 mRNA normalized with beta-actin (Actb) mRNA quantified by qRT-PCR (control-EV: n = 13 samples; Shank3-cKO-EV: n = 13 samples. Unpaired t-test, two-tailed. see Methods). e Representative confocal microscopy images of vCA1 stained with anti-Shank3 (red) and DAPI (blue). Shank3-KO mouse, Shank3-cKO EV injected mouse (1/64 and 1/128), and control-EV injected mouse, respectively f. The number of Shank3 puncta in vCA1 of Shank3-cKO-EV injected mice (1/64: n = 30 sections; 1/128: n = 25 sections; Control: n = 14 sections. One-way ANOVA followed by Dunnett’s multiple comparisons test). g Social discrimination test of Shank3-cKO-EV injected mice (1/1: n = 9 mice; 1/2: n = 10 mice; 1/4: n = 12 mice; 1/8: n = 11 mice; 1/16: n = 5 mice; 1/32: n = 6 mice; 1/64: n = 5 mice; 1/128: n = 15 mice; 1/256: n = 11 mice; 1/512: n = 12 mice; Control: n = 14 mice. Two-way mixed model ANOVA). h Social discrimination score of Shank3-cKO-EV injected mice (1/1: n = 9 mice; 1/2: n = 10 mice; 1/4: n = 12 mice; 1/8: n = 11 mice; 1/16: n = 5 mice; 1/32: n = 6 mice; 1/64: n = 5 mice; 1/128: n = 15 mice; 1/256: n = 11 mice; 1/512: n = 12 mice; Control: n = 14 mice. One-way mixed model ANOVA). i. Schematic illustration of a working model of the required cell population for obtaining social memory in vCA1. *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001, ****p < 0.0001. n.s. not significant. Data presented as mean ± SEM. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.