Fig. 3

The improved cognitive performance by ACSS2 upregulation in middle-aged 5 × FAD mice. A The time schedule of the experimental procedure in up-regulating ACSS2. B, C Overexpression efficiency of Acss2 was examined by western blot and immunofluorescence. Immunoblots and western blot analysis of ACSS2 in the dorsal hippocampus of mice injected with either GFP control virus or Acss2 overexpression virus (n = 3 per group) (B). Representative images of ACSS2 (red) with GFP in the dorsal hippocampus of mice injected with either GFP control virus or Acss2 overexpression virus (C). D-G Acss2 overexpression mice were tested in the Morris water maze. Escape latency to the platform position during the training trails (1-5d) and the probe (6d) trial (D). The number of platform-position crossings (E), the percentage of time spent in the target quadrant (F), and the speed (G) in the probe (6d) trial. n = 14, 15, 16, and 13 mice for WT-GFP, WT-ACSS2, FAD-GFP, and FAD-ACSS2, respectively. Data are expressed as mean ± SEM. Statistical significance was calculated by two-way ANOVA (B, F, G) and three-way ANOVA (D) followed by the Tukey’s post-test, and Scheirer-Ray-Hare test followed by the Dunn’s post-hot test (E). * P < 0.05, ** P < 0.01, *** P < 0.001