Developmental alterations in anxiety and cognitive behavior in serotonin transporter mutant mice

Rationale A promoter variant of the serotonin transporter (SERT) gene is known to affect emotional and cognitive regulation. In particular, the “short” allelic variant is implicated in the etiology of multiple neuropsychiatric disorders. Heterozygous (SERT+/−) and homozygous (SERT−/−) SERT mutant mice are valuable tools for understanding the mechanisms of altered SERT levels. Although these genetic effects are well investigated in adulthood, the developmental trajectory of altered SERT levels for behavior has not been investigated.