Experiment
A large set of ethological measures of anxiety-related behaviors were analyzed to explore the relationship between the behavioral phenotype and genotype of anxiety. Phenotypic and genotypic data from a total of 1636 mice from two intercosses of (H1 x L1)F2 and (H2 x L2) F2 DeFries strains decribed in a separate paper (J:70479) were obtained.
Five behavorial tests were conducted in the open field arena, the elevated plus maze, the square maze, the light dark box and the mirror chamber. The test results from the two crosses were highly consistent and to maximize power and mapping resoultion the data was combined from both crosses in the current companion study. Likely QTL positions were determined using MAPMAKER-QTL and QTL-CARTOGRAPHER.
The results of this study mapped 3 major QTL influencing anxiety-related behaviors on Chromosomes 1, 4 an 15. Other anxiety-related behavioral QTLs with multiple effects mapped to Chromosomes 7, 12, 14, 18 and X.
Axtrb1, anxiety-related behavior 1 mapped to Chromosome 7. Axtrb1 influences visually mediated behavior. These results are consistent with the effect coming from the albino c locus on Chromosome 7.
The combined LOD scores from both crosses, for each significant test measurement contributing to Axtrb1 follow:
anxiety-related behavior 1, open field, total activity, LOD= 13.1;
anxiety-related behavior 1, open field, center activity, LOD=13.5;
anxiety-related behavior 1, open field, center time, LOD=7.3;
anxiety-related behavior 1, open field, latency to approach center, LOD=4.3;
anxiety-related behavior 1, elevated plus maze, closed arm entries, LOD=16.5;
anxiety-related behavior 1, elevated plus maze, closed arm activity, LOD= 15.8;
anxiety-related behavior 1, square maze, closed arm activity, LOD=9.7
anxiety-related behavior 1, square maze, open arms activity, LOD=4.4.
At each locus the direction of effect of the allele was examined from the less active strains, L1 and L2. All traits measured at Axtrb1 were decreased by the influence of the L1 or L2 allele. [Table 2].