The normal physiological function of the prion protein PrPC remains unknown. Here, the authors report that PrP knockout mice show altered behavior in two olfactory tasks and that PrP deficiency affects oscillatory activity in the olfactory bulb. Both the behavioral and electrophysiological phenotypes could be rescued by transgenic neuronal-specific expression of PrPC.
- Claire E Le Pichon
- Matthew T Valley
- Stuart Firestein