Abstract EN:

STOP null mice exhibit many behavioural disturbances mimicking schizophrenia symptoms associated with a reduced glutamatergic transmission and an exacerbated dopaminergic one, alterations suitable with the neurochemical hypothesis of schizophrenia. Alterations displayed by STOP null mice are alleviated by a neuroleptics treatment. Thus, STOP null mice represent a useful tool to develop new therapeutic strategy. Then, we tested Epothilon D, a antimitotic agent, and showed that it improves many alterations seen in STOP null mice, more especially cognitive deficits. It represents an exciting innovative treatment. Finally, STOP null mice exhibit a progression of behavioural defects over time suggesting that juvenile STOP null mice exhibit only subtle alterations in dopaminergic reactivity without major glutamatergic disturbance. STOP null mice provide thus a model to study the time course of schizophrenia and to identify factors leading to the onset of the disease in the late adolescence.