International Mammalian Genome Society

The 15th International Mouse Genome Conference (2001)

Table of Contents * Complex Genetics * Developmental Genetics * Gene Annotation * Gene Discovery * Genome Sequencing * Functional Genomics * Mutagenesis * Presentations * Verne Chapman Memorial Lecture

POSTER 27 - A QUANTITATIVE ANALYSIS SPONTANEOUS LOCOMOTOR ACTIVITY IN THE WILD DERIVED STRAINS

Dr Tsuyoshi Koide
National Institute of Genetics
1111 Yata
Mishima, Shizuoka-ken 411-8540
Japan

Co-Authors: 1,2)Furuse T, 3)Takano T, 4)Moriwaki K, 1)Shiroishi T, 1,5)Koide T
Institutions: 1) Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, National Institute of Genetics, 2) Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, 3) Division of Population Genetics, National Institute of Genetics 4) Bio Resource Center, RIKEN, Tsukuba 5) PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Corporation

Spontaneous locomotor activity is a behavior that is greatly influenced by the forces of natural selection in the process of evolution. In the laboratory environment, mice have not been selected for their ability of spontaneous locomotion. Thus, the genetic variability for behavioral performance including spontaneous locomotor activity is still maintained as a distinct genetic feature of each mouse strain. We previously conducted multi-phenotype behavioral characterizations using a series of inbred strains derived from wild mice in addition to the common laboratory strains, the Mishima battery of mouse strains. In the study of spontaneous locomotor activity in the habituated normal home cages using infra-red sensor, we found that mice of KJR strain was hyperactive in contrast to mice of BLG2 strain, which showed a low level of spontaneous locomotion. To unravel the genetic loci involved in this behavioral phenotype, we conducted QTL analysis on backcross populations of a cross between KJR and BLG2 strains. In the QTL analysis with 282 backcross progeny, the maximum LOD score, 4.0, was found between the markers D3Mit86 and D3Mit128 and significantly exceeds the threshold of LOD score, 4.0, was found between the markers D3Mit86 and D3Mit128 and significantly exceeds the threshold of LOD score 3.3 for BC1. We named this most telomeric region of chromosome 3 as Loco1.