Fig. 2: Astrocyte-specific knockout of ALKBH5 induces antidepressant-like behaviors.
From: Astrocytic ALKBH5 in stress response contributes to depressive-like behaviors in mice
a Genetic crosses used to delete the ALKBH5 of astrocytes, neurons, and endothelial cells from the whole brain and a schematic representation of the behavioral tests. b, c Representative images (red, ALKBH5; green, S100β) (b) and quantification of the ALKBH5 positive astrocytes (c) of Astrocyte cKO and Ctrl mice, Scale bar = 20 μm. (n = 6 mice per group). d, j, o Immobility time in the FST. (d Astrocyte cKO, n = 12; Ctrl, n = 11 mice; j Neuron cKO, n = 11; Ctrl, n = 9 mice; o EC cKO, n = 22; Ctrl, n = 19 mice). e, k, p Time spent in the interaction zone before and after CSDS. (e Astrocyte cKO, n = 11; Ctrl, n = 12 mice; k Neuron cKO, n = 7; Ctrl, n = 8 mice; p EC cKO, n = 9; Ctrl, n = 7 mice). f Sucrose preference for Astrocyte cKO and Ctrl mice in the SPT. (Astrocyte cKO, n = 7; Ctrl, n = 9 mice). g, l, q Time spent in the open arms and closed arms in the EPM. (g Astrocyte cKO, n = 12; Ctrl, n = 12 mice; l Neuron cKO, n = 8; Ctrl, n = 11 mice; q EC cKO, n = 22; Ctrl, n = 19 mice). h Western blotting analysis of the ALKBH5 in the mPFC of Neuron cKO mice. (Neuron cKO, n = 7; Ctrl, n = 6 mice). i Quantification of the ALKBH5 positive neurons of Neuron cKO and Ctrl mice, Scale bar = 20 μm. (n = 6 mice per group). m, n Representative images and quantification of the ALKBH5 positive endothelial cells (red, Cdh5; green, ALKBH5) of EC cKO and Ctrl mice, Scale bar = 20 μm. (n = 25 slices from 4 mice per group). All data were presented as the mean ± SEM. Two-sided unpaired t-test (c, d, g–j, l, n, o, q) or Two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni’s multiple comparisons test (e, f, k, p). *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001; n.s. no significance. Source data are provided as a Source Data file. See Supplementary Data 4 for statistical details.
