Influence of coat color genes on seizure behavior in Mongolian gerbils

Seizure tendencies of three separate lines of Mongolian gerbils Meriones unguiculatus carrying three different coat color alleles were investigated. These alleles were agouti (A/-), black or nonagouti (a/a), or sandy (pink-eyed dilution p/p). Each animal was stroked on the back and then placed in a novel cage for 5 min while its seizure activity was measured in terms of latency, duration, and severity (grade). The results indicate that gerbils which are homozygous recessive at the pink-eyed dilution locus (sandy) exhibit less severe and shorter seizures than others. However, gerbils which are homozygous recessive at the agouti gene locus (black) show a shorter latency to manifest seizures than the other animals. These results indicate that the genetic mechanism determining coat color in Mongolian gerbils may also influence the susceptibility of these animals to seizure arising from novel stimulation.