EFFECTS OF THE NONAGOUTI COAT-COLOR ALLELE ON BEHAVIOR OF DEER MICE (PEROMYSCUS-MANICULATUS) - A COMPARISON WITH NORWAY RATS (RATTUS-NORVEGICUS)

The agouti locus influences coat color by antagonizing melanocyte-stim ulating hormone (MSH) at its receptor on pigment cells and may antagon ize MSH in neural tissue. This study replicates work on rats to assess whether behavioral (neural) effects of the agouti locus are as simila r across mammals as those on coat color. Handling, open-field, platfor m jump, and food-novelty tests were conducted on agouti and nonagouti deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) following protocols in C. A. Cottle and E. O. Price (1987). As with rats, nonagouti deer mice were less a ggressive, less active, and easier to handle compared with their agout i counterparts. Nonagouti deer mice also groomed more than agouti subj ects. Thus, behavioral effects of the agouti locus are conservative, a nd agouti may be an important modulator of melanocortins in neural as well as integumentary tissue.