This Week in The Journal

Endocannabinoids work through a signaling system that supports neurodevelopment.Simn-Snchez et al. used mice and in utero electroporation to explore whether manipulating this system prenatally has long-lasting effects.The authors reduced expression of an endocannabinoid receptor (CB1) in the prefrontal cortex of prenatal mice and assessed the impact of this manipulation on gene expression, neural properties, and behavior after the mice were born.Cortical neurons of the offspring did not migrate to their proper locations in the brain.Additionally, these mice had altered expression of genes related to cortex development, neuron structure, and neural signaling.Some of the genes the researchers identified had previous links to intellectual disability, schizophrenia, and autism.On a behavioral level, the prenatal manipulation that lowered CB1 expression impaired social interaction and movement in offspring.According to the researchers, this work suggests that hindering development by manipulating this system prenatally may lead to neuropsychiatric conditions, especially those involving social deficits.