A chromosome region linked to neurodevelopmental disorders influences locomotor behavior through sex-specific neural circuits

Biological sex shapes the manifestation and progression of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), however, the underlying mechanisms remains unclear. Hemideletion of the 16p11.2 region (16p11.2 del/+) is associated with NDDs, and 16p11.2 del/+ mice exhibit sex-specific, striatum-related phenotypes relevant to NDDs. In this study, using snRNA-seq, we identify cell type- and sex-specific transcriptomic changes in D1- and D2-spiny projection neurons (SPNs), with greater impact in males. Fiber photometry recordings reveal reduced neuronal activity in the dorsal striatum of 16p11.2 del/+ males, but not females, with D2-SPNs identified as the primary contributors to this reduction. Behaviorally, we utilize conditional genetic approaches and find that selective hemideletion in D2-SPNs, but not D1-SPNs, induces male-specific hyperactivity, whereas cortical hemideletion increases hyperactivity in both sexes. Thus, a locus linked to NDDs acts in distinct striatal circuits, selectively impacting behavior in a sex- and cell type-specific manner.