Rfq2^DBA/2J
QTL Variant Detail

Summary

• QTL variant: Rfq2^DBA/2J
• Name: rearing frequency QTL 2, males; DBA/2J
• MGI ID: MGI:6315508
• QTL: Rfq2 Location: Chr14:33721957-35721957 bp Genetic Position: Chr14, Syntenic

Variant origin

• Strain of Specimen: DBA/2J

Variant description

• Allele Type: QTL
• Inheritance: Not Specified

Notes

Mapping and Phenotype information for this QTL, its variants and associated markers

J:276121

The open field is a classic test used to assess exploratory behavior, anxiety, and locomotor activity in rodents. In this study the authors mapped QTL underlying behaviors displayed in an open field, using a panel of 53 BXD recombinant inbred mouse strains (914 mice: 451 females from 52 BXD strains and 463 males from 53 BXD strains, as well as 10 males and 10 females for each one of the parental strains, C57BL/6J and DBA/2J).

The authors quantified behavioral traits during 20 min test sessions including (1) percent time spent and distance travelled near the wall (thigmotaxis), (2) leaning against the wall, (3) rearing, (4) jumping, (5) grooming duration, (6) grooming frequency, (7) locomotion, and (8) defecation. All traits exhibit moderate heritability making them amenable to genetic analysis.

The QTL mapping module of GeneNetwork was used to identify QTL for the open-field data.

Two significant QTL were identified on Chr 4:

QTL Gdq1 (grooming duration QTL 1, males) maps to Chr 4: 97 - 112 Mb with a peak LRS value of 17.9 at 104 Mb. Gdq1 accounts for 25% of the variance in males. Although C57BL/6J animals show smaller grooming durations than DBA/2J animals, strains that inherited the C57BL/6J haplotype at Gdq1 had increased grooming time.

QTL Gdq2 (grooming duration QTL 2, females) maps to Chr 4: 101 - 125 Mb with a peak LRS value of 18.1 at 103 Mb. Gdq2 accounts for 14% of the variance in females. Although C57BL/6J animals show smaller grooming durations than DBA/2J animals, strains that inherited the C57BL/6J haplotype at Gdq2 had increased grooming time.

Bioinformatic analysis indicates Disabled 1 (Dab1, a key protein in the reelin signaling pathway) as a particularly strong candidate gene underlying the Chr 4 QTL.

Several suggestive QTL were identified in this study, including two QTL that showed a significant pairwise epistatic interaction:

Suggestive QTL Rfq1 (rearing frequency QTL 1, males) maps to Chr 12: 36 - 37 Mb with a peak LRS score of 1.557.

Suggestive QTL Rfq2 (rearing frequency QTL 2, males) maps to Chr 14: 34 - 36 Mb with a peak LRS score of 0.878.

The LRS score for the interaction is 33.754 and the LRS for the full model is 35.908, p < 0.05.

References

• Original: J:276121 Delprato A, et al., QTL and systems genetics analysis of mouse grooming and behavioral responses to novelty in an open field. Genes Brain Behav. 2017 Nov;16(8):790-799
• All: 1 reference(s)