QUANTITATIVE TRAIT LOCI ASSOCIATED WITH THE BEHAVIORAL-RESPONSE OF BXD RECOMBINANT INBRED MICE TO RESTRAINT STRESS - A PRELIMINARY COMMUNICATION

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis was used to make provisional id entification of loci containing genes influencing vulnerability to str ess. The effect of restraint stress on open-field activity was measure d in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J inbred strains of mice and in 22 BXD recombin ant inbred strains of mice. QTL analyses were performed by correlating the behavioral delta scores for each group with the strain distributi on pattern of 1300 markers for the BXD mice. A significant association was found between postrestraint rearings during min 5 through 8 in th e open field and the Lamb2 marker on chromosome 1 (r = .718, p < .0001 ). Significant associations at the p < .0001 level were also found bet ween baseline open-field rearings of control mice during min 0 through 5 and the Zp3, Ache, and Mr66-1 markers on chromosome 5, baseline ope n-field rearings of control mice during min 5 through 8 and the Pmv42 marker on chromosome 15, and open-field rearings of experimental mice during min 0 through 5 and the D11Ncvs61 marker on chromosome 11.