Fig. 5: Maternal Trp modulation impacts embryonic brain development and offspring behavioral phenotypes.

a Schematic of dietary Trp modulation. b Heatmap of Trp metabolite levels in maternal circulation and fetal brain (n = 6 mice/group). T-values were indicated (right). c Trp modulation affected male offspring’s marble burying test (n = 10 mice, 10 litters/group; oCD vs oC-Trp, t = 0.677, p = 0.507; oHFD vs oH-Trp, t = 2.717, p = 0.014; oHFD vs oH-1MT, t = 4.096, p = 0.000615341). d Fuzzy c-means clustering of gene expression patterns in fetal forebrain (n = 3 mice/group). e Coronal brain section showing somatosensory and motor cortex assessment. f Density of BrdU-positive cells located in each laminar bin (n = 9 slices from 3 mice; bin1: t = 4.694, p = 0.0002088483; bin2: t = 2.998, p = 0.009; bin5: t = 2.859, p = 0.011; bin6: t = 2.469, p = 0.025; bin7: t = 3.615, p = 0.002; bin8: t = 7.465, p = 9.243799e-07; bin9: t = 5.881, p = 1.814603e-05; bin10: t = 3.159, p = 0.006). g, h Cortical cell density evaluation (n = 9 slices from 3 mice; t = 3.653, p = 0.002). Cortical columns were divided into ten equal-sized bins (i) and the number of Brn2-positive cells counted in each (j) n = 9 slices from 3 mice; bin1: t = 2.389, p = 0.030; bin2: t = 2.408, p = 0.028; bin3: t = 3.244, p = 0.005; bin5: t = 2.314, p = 0.034; bin6: t = 2.168, p = 0.046; bin7: t = 3.146, p = 0.006; bin10: t = 3.999, p = 0.001). Bin 10 represents the upper margin of the SVZ. k The density of Brn2-positive cells (n = 9 slices from 3 mice; t = 1.079, p = 0.297). Data are represented as mean ± SD. Statistical significance was assessed by the two-sided unpaired Student’s t-test. Source data are provided as a Source Data file. Brdu bromodeoxyuridine, BLBP Brain lipid-binding protein, PI Propidium Iodide.