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Automated, Quantitative Cognitive/Behavioral Screening of Mice: For Genetics, Pharmacology, Animal Cognition and Undergraduate Instruction
Published on: February 26, 2014
Quantitative trait loci and psychopharmacology
R Plomin1, G E McClearn, G Gora-Maslak
1Center for Developmental and Health Genetics, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
Journal of Psychopharmacology (Oxford, England)
|January 28, 2012
Summary
Identifying genes influencing complex behaviors like drug responses requires advanced methods. The recombinant inbred (RI) quantitative trait loci (QTL) approach in mice effectively maps genes contributing to behavioral variation.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral genetics
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Complex behaviors, including drug responses, are influenced by multiple genes and environmental factors.
- Traditional genetic approaches are insufficient for dissecting the genetic architecture of continuous behavioral variation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present the recombinant inbred (RI) quantitative trait loci (QTL) approach as a powerful strategy for identifying genes underlying behavioral variation.
- To highlight the utility of RI strains, such as the BXD series, for mapping genes associated with complex traits.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing association analyses with recombinant inbred (RI) mouse strains.
- Employing a large set of mapped genetic markers within RI strain series (e.g., BXD).
- Applying multivariate extensions to assess genetic correlations and their genetic underpinnings.
Main Results:
- The RI QTL approach can identify and map quantitative trait loci (QTL) influencing behavioral phenotypes, even with continuous strain distribution patterns.
- This method allows estimation of the contribution of identified QTL to the total genetic variance.
- Multivariate analyses can reveal genetic correlations among different behavioral measures.
Conclusions:
- The RI QTL approach provides a cumulative and integrative framework for the molecular genetic analysis of complex behaviors.
- This strategy is crucial for understanding the genetic basis of psychopharmacological processes and their integration with other biological systems.
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