Gene Could Hold Key to Schizophrenia

Deleting a single gene in the brains of mice caused their memories to be affected in way that resembled schizophrenia in humans, U.S. scientists report. Before the gene was removed, the mice were trained to use external clues to look for chocolate treats buried in sand. But after being injected with a genetically engineered virus that deleted the NR1 gene, the mice were unable to learn a similar task. The study, by a team from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, appears in the current issue of The Journal of Neuroscience. For information.