Genetic dissection of mouse exploratory behaviour

A large variety of apparatus and procedures are being employed to measure m ouse exploratory behaviour. Definitions of what constitutes exploration als o vary widely. The present article reviews two studies whose results permit a genetic dissection of behaviour displayed in an open-field situation. Th e results agree that factors representing exploration and stress/fear under lie this type of behaviour. Both factors appear to be linked to neuroanatom ical variation in the sizes of the hippocampal intra- and infrapyramidal mo ssy fibre terminal fields. Multivariate analysis of genetic correlations ma y render important insights into the structure of behaviour and its relatio ns with neuroanatomical and neurophysiological systems. (C) 2001 Elsevier S cience B.V. All rights reserved.