Fig. 4: Targeted DNA methylation of Mecp2 caused ASD-Like phenotypes in mice.

a, b Social behavior as examined by the three-chamber test. (a) Left: the time of mice interacting with either the stranger mouse (S) or the empty cage (E) in the second phase of the three-chamber test. Right: Data are ratios of interaction time with a stranger mouse to interaction time with an empty cage. (b) Left: the time of mice interacting with either the familiar mouse (S1) or the novel mouse (S2) in the third phase of the three-chamber test. Right: Data are ratios of interaction time with a stranger mouse to interaction time with a familiar mouse. Methylation n = 11, control n = 7. c Repetitive behaviors as measured by the total time on self-grooming over a 10 min period. Methylation n = 8, control n = 11. d Locomotor activity as examined by the total distance traveled in the open field. Methylation n = 7, control n = 10. e Anxiety-related behavior as measured by the time in the open arms in the elevated plus-maze assay (EPM). Methylation n = 8, control n = 10. f Depression-related behavior as measured by the immobility time in the tail suspension assay. Methylation n = 7, control n = 11. g Memory-related behavior as measured by the total time spent on interacting with novel object and familiar object over a 10 min period in object recognition assay. Right: Discrimination ratio (novel-object interaction/total interaction with both objects); Left: novel-object recognition (novel-object interaction–familiar object interaction). Methylation n = 7, control n = 11. h Social memory-related behavior measured by the total consumption (left) and consumption ratio (right) of cocaine and cinnamon eaten by the male observer mice in the social transmission of food preference assay (STFP). Coc, cocaine; Cin, cinnamon. Methylation n = 11, control n = 7. Data were shown as the mean ± s.e.m, the number of mouse were indicated in respective bars. Methylation male mice were indicated in black and control male mice were indicated in gray. Statistical analysis is performed by Student’s t test (NS, p > 0.05; *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; and ***p < 0.001).