FIGURE 5

FIGURE 5

Improved ASD core symptoms in shank3-deficient zebrafish upon early VPA treatment. (A) Schematic overview of the protocol used for the VPA exposure period, the evaluation of behavioral tests at juvenile (2.5 mpf) and adult (3.5 mpf), and RT-qPCR analysis at 4.5 mpf. Red color indicates the VPA exposure phases. (B) Social preference index (distance ratio) of social test on juvenile zebrafish, WT, n = 15; WT-VPA, n = 16; shank3ab^{– /–}, n = 16; shank3ab^{– /–} -VPA, n = 16. (C) Social preference index (distance ratio) of social test on adult zebrafish, WT, n = 12; WT-VPA, n = 14; shank3ab^{– /–}, n = 13; shank3ab^{– /–} -VPA, n = 18. (D) The VPA treatment reduced abnormal proportion of stereotypic figure “8” swimming and (E) back and forth swimming (walling) in shank3ab^{– /–} zebrafish, WT, n = 15; WT-VPA, n = 13; shank3ab^{– /–}, n = 16; shank3ab^{– /–} -VPA, n = 15. Data are shown as mean ± SEM. Statistical analyses: (B) one-way ANOVA with LSD correction for multiple testing. (C–E) One-way ANOVA with Bonferroni correction for multiple testing. Data are presented as mean ± SEM; *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ****P < 0.0001.