International Mammalian Genome Society

17th International Mouse Genome Conference

9-12 November 2003, Braunschweig, Germany

Plenary Presentations * Oral Presentations *
Poster Presentations: Behavioural Genetics and Genomics * Development and Stem Cells * Functional Genome Analysis * Mouse Models of Human Disease * Mouse System Biology Bioinformatics * Multigenic and Multifactorial Trait Analysis * Nutrition and Metabolic Disease * Phenotyping Methods Imaging * The Genetics and Genomics of Infectious Disease *
Verne Chapman Memorial Lecture * Table of Contents * Sponsor/Exhibitor List * Awards * Photographs

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ORAL PRESENTATION

MONDAY 10 NOVEMBER
12:00 – 12:15 HRS

HIPPOCAMPAL GENE EXPRESSION IN HETEROGENEOUS STOCK (HS) MICE SELECTED FOR LOW, MID AND HIGH PERFORMANCE ON COGNITIVE TASKS

Paya-Cano JL
Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London

Co-Authors: Fernandes C, Liu L, Rijsdijk F, Plomin R, Schalkwyk LC
Institutions: Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Research Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London

Heterogeneous Stock (HS) mice exhibit marked differences in behavioural phenotypes and it is possible to select individuals on a trait of interest according to their phenotypic variation within a population.

In this study we examined hippocampal gene expression profiles associated with different levels of performance on cognitive tasks. A total of 270 HS mice were tested on a behavioural battery of tests including the light/dark box, open field, plus maze, open field novel object, Morris water maze, puzzle box and tail suspension. A phenotypic composite index from the cognitive set of tests was generated for all mice. From the resulting individual scores we selected three groups of 27 mice representing the top, middle and bottom 10% of the distribution. Hippocampal gene expression was assessed using 3 replicate pools of 9 mice within each group (biological replicates) using the Affymetrix GeneChip Mouse Expression set 430 (MOE430 array a). Two additional sets of cRNA samples are being assessed (technical replicates).

Differences in gene expression across high, mid and low cognitive performance groups will nominate novel candidate genes for cognition.