title: Behavior and stress reactivity in mouse strains with mitochondrial DNA variations.
abstract: We studied the behavior and neuroendocrine regulation under social disruption stress of C57BL/6J mice in which mitochondria were substituted by mitochondria from AKR/J or FVB/N strains. C57BL/6J-mt(FVB/N) mice were significantly more anxious in the elevated plus-maze test than C57BL/6J-mt(AKR/J) and C57BL/6J mice at base line. In addition, they showed a reduced corticosterone response and an activation of serotonergic and dopaminergic neurotransmitter systems after repeated challenge, i.e., social defeat and elevated plus-maze test. Our findings suggest that mitochondrial variations could affect anxiety-like behavior as well as corticosterone and neurotransmitter response to psychological stress.
authors.affiliation: Research Unit Behavioural Physiology, Research Institute for the Biology of Farm Animals, Dummerstorf, Germany. gimsa@fbn-dummerstorf.de
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Gimsa
authors.forename: Ellen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kanitz
authors.forename: Winfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Otten
authors.forename: Saleh M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Ibrahim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001519:Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008297:Male; D018782:Maze Learning; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000378:metabolism; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D003345:Corticosterone