Fig. 2: Ventral hippocampal astrocytic NLG3 is necessary for social recognition memory.

a AAV virus injections to ventral hippocampus. b Both WT (n = 11 mice, p < 0.001) and NLG3 ^f/Y (n = 8 mice, p < 0.001) mice injected with GFAP-EGFP-Cre virus in ventral hippocampus preferred S1 over E during Stage 2 of three-chamber test. c WT (n = 11 mice, p = 0.004), but not NLG3 ^f/Y (n = 8 mice) mice injected with GFAP-EGFP-Cre virus in ventral hippocampus preferred S2 over S1 during Stage 3 (memory index p = 0.0151). d AAV virus injections to dorsal hippocampus. e Both WT (n = 10 mice, p < 0.001) and NLG3 ^f/Y (n = 15 mice, p < 0.001) mice injected with GFAP-EGFP-Cre virus in dorsal hippocampus preferred S1 over E during Stage 2. f WT (n = 10 mice, p = 0.002) and NLG3 ^f/Y (n = 15 mice, p < 0.001) mice injected with GFAP-EGFP-Cre virus in dorsal hippocampus preferred S2 over S1 during Stage 3. g AAV virus constructs and injection strategy for re-introducing WT NLG3-HA in ventral hippocampal astrocytes of GFAP-NLG3 KO mice. h Increased NLG3 protein in GFAP-NLG3 KO mice expressing NLG3-HA compared to those expressing EGFP (n = 3 mice, p = 0.0382). i AAV virus (same as in g) injections to ventral hippocampus used for (j, k). j Both NLG3-HA (p = 0.001) and EGFP (p < 0.001) expressed GFAP-NLG3 KO mice preferred S1 over E (n = 8 mice for each group) during Stage 2. k NLG3-HA, but not EGFP expressing GFAP-NLG3 KO mice preferred S2 over S1 during Stage 3 (p = 0.002 for sniffing time, p = 0.0106 for memory index, n = 8 mice for each group). Data represent mean ± SEM; two-tailed t test for right panels of (c, f, h, and k); two-way ANOVA with Tukey post hoc multiple comparisons for (b, e, j), and left panels of (c, f, and k); *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001. Source data are provided as a Source Data file.