Quantitative trait loci associated with the behavioral response of B×D recombinant inbred mice to restraint stress: A preliminary communication

Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis was used to make provisional identification of loci containing genes influencing vulnerability to stress. The effect of restraint stress on openfield activity was measured in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J inbred strains of mice and in 22 B×D recombinant inbred strains of mice. QTL analyses were performed by correlating the behavioral delta scores for each group with the strain distribution pattern of 1300 markers for the B×D mice. A significant association was found between postrestraint rearings during min 5 through 8 in the open field and the Lamb2 marker on chromosome 1 (r=.718, p<.0001). Significant associations at the p<.0001 level were also found between baseline open-field rearings of control mice during min 0 through 5 and the Zp3, Ache, and Mr66-1 markers on chromosome 5, baseline open-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.