title: Effect of Robertsonian translocations on the motor activity rhythm in the house mouse.
abstract: Here we studied the circadian rhythm of motor activity in two groups of wild house mice from the chromosomal polymorphic zone of Barcelona, which differed in diploid number (2n): standard (2n = 40), with all acrocentric chromosomes, and Robertsonian (2n = 29-32), with several Robertsonian translocations. Motor activity under three lighting conditions, light-dark cycle, constant darkness, and constant light, was recorded for each mouse. The motor activity rhythm was examined by Fourier analysis and the daily power spectra were obtained. On the basis of the mean power spectrum of each animal and under each lighting condition, stepwise discriminant analyses were performed to classify the two chromosomal groups. This method allowed the correct classification of a large number of animals, the rhythms of about 2-2.6 hour periods being the most significant, with higher values in Robertsonian than in standard mice. Our results indicate that the daily motor activity pattern differs between the two chromosomal groups and its analysis may have a valuable interest for behavioral investigations on Robertsonian polymorphic zones of this species.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Biologia Animal, Facultat de Biologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda. Diagonal 645, 08028, Barcelona, Spain. sans@ub.edu
authors.forename: Maria Assumpció
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Sans-Fuentes
authors.forename: María José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: López-Fuster
authors.forename: Jacint
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ventura
authors.forename: Antoni
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Díez-Noguera
authors.forename: Trinitat
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cambras
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000235:genetics*; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D007621:Karyotyping; D008027:Light; D051379:Mice; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000235:genetics*; D017440:Photoperiod; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D014178:Translocation, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*