A major quantitative trait locus influences hyperactivity in the WKHA rat.
Nat Genet. 1996-12-01; 14(4): 471-473
DOI: 10.1038/ng1296-471
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1. Nat Genet. 1996 Dec;14(4):471-3.
A major quantitative trait locus influences hyperactivity in the WKHA rat.
Moisan MP(1), Courvoisier H, Bihoreau MT, Gauguier D, Hendley ED, Lathrop M,
James MR, Mormède P.
Author information:
(1)Génétique du Stress, INSERM-INRA, Institut François Magendie, Bordeaux,
France.
The syndrome of hyperactivity describes behavioural disorders existing mainly in
children and characterized by increased levels of motor activity, inattention and
impulsivity. Overall the aetiology is poorly understood due to the heterogeneity
of the pathology although psychological, biological and social factors acting
singly or in concert are generally thought to be involved. In animal studies the
observed hyperactivity phenotype results from relative participation of
exploration, emotionality and general activity. Studies using brain lesions,
neuropharmacology and gene knock-out strategies have shown that specific elements
of the brain dopaminergic system can subserve hyperactivity. Evidence of a
genetic contribution comes from family and twin studies but also from the ability
to select divergent animal lines on the basis of their differential activity. The
Wistar-Kyoto (WKY) and Wistar-Kyoto hyperactive (WKHA) rats are such
strains–distinct for their low and high activity scores in a novel environment,
respectively. Here, we report the detection of a major hyperactivity-related QTL
on chromosome 8, explaining 29% of the variance of an intercross between these
strains. This study represents the first behavioural QTL analysis in rat and
provides a new starting point for biologically categorizing different forms of
hyper-activity.
DOI: 10.1038/ng1296-471
PMID: 8944030 [Indexed for MEDLINE]