Behavioural analysis of congenic mouse strains confirms stress-responsive loci on chromosomes 1 and 12
- Author(s)
- Jawahar, MC; Brodnicki, TC; Quirk, F; Wilson, YM; Murphy, M;
- Details
- Publication Year 2008-07,Volume 38,Issue #4,Page 407-416
- Journal Title
- BEHAVIOR GENETICS
- Publication Type
- Journal Article
- Abstract
- The way in which animals respond to stressful environments correlates with anxiety-related behaviour. To begin identifying the genetic factors that influence anxiety, we have studied the stress-responsiveness of inbred mouse strains using a modified form of the open field activity test (OFA), termed the elevated (e) OFA. In particular, two strains show high (DBA/2J) or low (C57BL/6J) stress-responsiveness in the eOFA. Genetic studies of an F(2) intercross between these two strains previously identified two regions, on chromosomes (Chr) 1 and 12, linked to anxiety-related behaviour. To confirm that these regions contain loci for stress-responsiveness, we established separate congenic mouse strains for the linked Chr1 and Chr12 regions. Each congenic strain harbours a DBA/2J-derived interval encompassing the linked region on the C57BL/6J genetic background: the congenic intervals are between, but not including similar to 48.6 Mb and similar to 194.8 Mb on Chr1, and similar to 36.2 Mb and the distal end of Chr12. Cohorts of DBA/2J, C57BL/6J and congenic mice were analysed for a series of stress-responsive phenotypes using the eOFA test. Both congenic strains had significantly different stress-responsive phenotypes compared to the low-stress C57BL/6J parental strain, but the DBA/2J-derived Chr12 interval had a greater genetic effect than the DBA/2J-derived Chr1 interval for changing the behavioral phenotype of the parental C57BL/6J mouse strain. These results confirmed the presence of stress-responsive loci on Chr1 and Chr12. New stress-related phenotypes were also identified, which aided in comparing and differentiating DBA/2J, C57BL/6J and congenic mice.
- Publisher
- SPRINGER
- Keywords
- QUANTITATIVE-TRAIT LOCI; LOCOMOTOR-ACTIVITY; ANXIETY DISORDERS; GENETIC-BASIS; LIFE EVENTS; MICE; IDENTIFICATION; DEPRESSION; GENOME; NEUROBIOLOGY
- Publisher's Version
- https://doi.org/10.1007/s10519-008-9206-3
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- Refer to copyright notice on published article.
Creation Date: 2008-07-01 12:00:00