title: Sensitivity to the locomotor-stimulant effects of ethanol and allopregnanolone: a quantitative trait locus study of common genetic influence.
abstract: Previous studies have suggested that common genetic mechanisms influence sensitivity to the locomotor-stimulant effects of ethanol and allopregnanolone. We conducted two quantitative trait locus (QTL) studies to identify chromosomal regions that harbor genes that influence locomotor response to ethanol (2 g/kg) and allopregnanolone (17 mg/kg) using F2 crosses between C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice. Because our previous data from the BXD recombinant inbred strains had indicated that chromosome 2 contained QTL for sensitivity to the locomotor-stimulant effects of both ethanol and allopregnanolone, we also tested reciprocal chromosome 2 congenic strains for sensitivity to the locomotor-stimulant effects of both drugs. The F2 analysis for ethanol sensitivity identified significant QTL on chromosomes 1 and 2 and suggestive QTL on chromosomes 5 and 9. The analysis of the allopregnanolone F2 study identified suggestive QTL on chromosomes 3, 5 and 12. Suggestive evidence for a female-specific QTL on chromosome 2 was also found. The studies of congenic mouse strains indicated that both the congenic strains captured one or more QTL for sensitivity to the locomotor-stimulant effects of both ethanol (2 g/kg) and allopregnanolone (17 mg/kg). When Fisher's method was used to combine the P values for the RI, F2 and congenic studies of the chromosome 2 QTL, cumulative probability scores of 9.6 x 10(-15) for ethanol and 7.7 x 10(-7) for allopregnanolone were obtained. These results confirm the presence of QTL for ethanol and allopregnanolone sensitivity in a common region of chromosome 2 and suggest possible pleiotropic genetic influence on sensitivity to these drugs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Genetics, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. aap@uchicago.edu
authors.forename: A A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Palmer
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Lessov-Schlaggar
authors.forename: C A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Ponder
authors.forename: C S
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: McKinnon
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Phillips
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D020297:Mice, Congenic; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D011280:Pregnanolone / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol; D011280:Pregnanolone