Chromosomal mapping of loci influencing sensitivity to cocaine-induced seizures in BXD recombinant inbred strains of mice

Psychopharmacology (Berl). 1995 Jan;117(1):62-6. doi: 10.1007/BF02245099.

Abstract

Among inbred mice, genetic factors mediate differences in sensitivity to the convulsant properties of cocaine; however, the gene(s) underlying cocaine's effects have not been identified. To help elucidate the gene(s) responsible for cocaine seizure susceptibility, we used recombinant inbred-quantitative trait loci (RI-QTL) analyses to identify chromosomal loci associated with cocaine-induced seizures. RI-QTL analyses seek to identify associations between a quantitative measure of a particular phenotype and one or more previously mapped marker genes across a panel of RI strains. This report describes an RI-QTL analysis of cocaine seizure susceptibility among 26 BXD RI strains. These strains showed a skewed, bimodal range of seizure susceptibility which could be the result of one or more modifying genes acting in concert with a major gene to influence cocaine sensitivity. Correlating the percent seizures displayed by each strain following 60 mg/kg cocaine with chromosomal marker data for these strains revealed a number of significant correlations clustered in two regions on chromosomes 12 and 6. This is the first identification of putative chromosomal loci associated with a cocaine-related phenotype and should facilitate identification of the gene(s) underlying cocaine toxicity and other cocaine-related phenotypes.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Chromosome Mapping*
  • Cocaine / pharmacology*
  • Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
  • Genetic Markers
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Inbred DBA
  • Mice, Inbred Strains
  • Phenotype
  • Recombination, Genetic
  • Seizures / chemically induced
  • Seizures / genetics*

Substances

  • Genetic Markers
  • Cocaine