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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POSTER 1 - INTERSTRAIN DIFFERENCES IN SOCIAL DOMINANCE AND HORMONAL TESTIS FUNCTION IN MICE

Busygina TV
Institute of Cytology and Genetics (Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences), Laboratory of Endocrine Genetics

Co-Authors: Osadchuk A V
Institutions: Institute of Cytology and Genetics (Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Sciences), Laboratory of Endocrine Genetics

Social dominant-subordinate relationships in animal populations are a crucial factor of microevolution. However genetic bases of social dominance are poor investigated. We studied interstrain differences in the level of social dominance and testis steroidogenic activity in mouse micropopulations consisting of six males (one male from each of 6 strains: A/He, CBA/Lac, C57Bl/6J, DD, PT and YT). Social rank of each male was estimated by winning/defeat score in intermale aggressive encounters. Basal and stimulated by human chorionic gonadotropin, forskolin, cholera toxin, dibutyryl-cAMP, and pregnenolone testicular testosterone production in vitro were estimated at informative time-points of social hierarchy formation (1 hour, 8 and 17 days after grouping). Highly significant interstrain differences in the level of social dominance were demonstrated. Males of PT strain were characterized by the highest level of social dominance; they occupied dominant rank in 44 of 155 micropopulations. Dominance level of other strains did not significantly differ from random level. It is very interesting that PT strain was also characterized by the highest testicular testosterone production under all stimulators in each time-point of social hierarchy formation. CBA/Lac strain was contrasted with PT strain for all testis steroidogenic activity values. In conclusion we demonstrated interstrain genotype-dependent differences in social dominance that can be positively correlated with testicular steroidogenic activities. The disclosed interstrain variation can serve as a promising tool for genetic dissection of social dominance. The work was supported by the grant RFBR N 01-04-49523.