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.
Axtrb4, anxiety-related behavior 4 mapped to Chromosome 18.
The combined LOD scores from both crosses, for each significant test measurement contributing to Axtrb4 follow:
anxiety-related behavior 4, open field, total activity, LOD=5.2;
anxiety-related behavior 4, open field, center activity, LOD=6.2;
anxiety-related behavior 4, open field, center time, LOD=6.0;
anxiety-related behavior 4, elevated plus maze, closed arm entries, LOD=7.1;
anxiety-related behavior 4, elevated plus maze, closed arm activity, LOD=6.4;
anxiety-related behavior 4, elevated plus maze, open arm entries, LOD=7.9;
anxiety-related behavior 4, elevated plus maze, open arm activity, LOD=7.7;
anxiety-related behavior 4, square maze, closed arm activity, LOD=10.4;
anxiety-related behavior 4, square maze, open arms activity, LOD=6.9;
anxiety-related behavior 4, square maze, open arm entries, LOD=4.6;
anxiety-related behavior 4, light dark box, light box time, LOD=3.5;
anxiety-related behavior 4, light dark box, light box activity, LOD=4.1;
anxiety-related behavior 4, light dark box, transitions, LOD=5.7.
At each locus the direction of effect of the allele was examined from the less active strains, L1 and L2. All traits measured at Axtrb4 were decreased by the influence of the L1 or L2 allele. [Table 2].