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.
Axtrb2, anxiety-related behavior 2 mapped to Chromosome 12.
The combined LOD scores from both crosses, for each significant test measurement contributing to Axtrb2 follow:
anxiety-related behavior 2, open field, total activity, LOD=3.6;
anxiety-related behavior 2, light dark box, dark box activity, LOD=5.5; and
anxiety-related behavior 2, light dark box, transitions, LOD=4.3.
At each locus the direction of effect of the allele was examined from the less active strains, L1 and L2. Significant traits measured at Axtrb2 were decreased by the influence of the L1 or L2 allele. [Table 2].
Table 3 gives the mapping results for loci influencing defecation in each test apparatus. Differentiation of defecation scores by components of the test apparatus were not possible. However results were consistent for each apparatus.
QTL Axtofd10, anxiety-open field defecation 10, open field, day 2, mapped to Chromosome 12 with a combined LOD=3.21 at 34 cM. The L1 or L2 allele at this locus increased defecation.