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Updated: Feb 5, 2026
08:39
Operant Sensation Seeking in the Mouse
Published on: November 10, 2010
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Systems genetics of sensation seeking
Price E Dickson1, Tyler A Roy1, Kathryn A McNaughton1
1Center for Systems Neurogenetics of Addiction, The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, Maine.
Genes, Brain, and Behavior
|September 18, 2018
Summary
This study identifies genetic links between sensation seeking and substance use in mice. The gene Gnb1 in the brain's reward circuitry is a key factor influencing these behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Neurogenetics
- Behavioral Genetics
- Systems Genetics
Background:
- Sensation seeking is a heritable trait linked to substance use in humans and animals.
- Shared genetic mechanisms between sensation seeking and substance use are not fully understood.
- Preference for sensory stimuli is an intermediate phenotype for sensation seeking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To identify shared genetic mechanisms underlying substance use and sensation seeking behaviors.
- To pinpoint specific genes and genomic regions associated with these traits using a systems genetics approach.
Main Methods:
- Utilized the BXD recombinant inbred mouse panel and the operant sensation seeking (OSS) paradigm.
- Quantified sensory stimulus preference in mice, dissociating it from locomotion and exploration.
- Integrated behavioral quantitative trait loci (QTL) data with gene expression (eQTL) data from reward-related brain regions.
Main Results:
- Identified significant genomic regions on chromosomes 4 and 13 associated with OSS behavioral components.
- Discovered genes within these QTL regions exhibiting significant cis-eQTL.
- Found genetic correlations between OSS phenotypes, ethanol-related behaviors, and mRNA expression.
Conclusions:
- Nominated Gnb1 and Mef2c as candidate genes for OSS-related QTL.
- Genetic variation in Gnb1 expression within reward circuitry partially explains the link between sensation seeking and substance use.
- This research provides insights into the genetic basis of addiction vulnerability.
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