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Quantitative trait loci (QTL) for circadian rhythms of locomotor activity in mice

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The loomotor activity of male mice (Mus musculus) was monitored by infrared photoelectric beams under three lighting regimens: LD (12 h of light and 12 h of dark), DD (constant dark), and LL (constant broad-spectrum light, 10 lux). Circadian period of locomotor activioty (τ) was compared among 3 inbred strains of mice, C57BL/6J (B6), BALB/c (C), and DBA/2J (D2), and 26 recombinant inbred strains B×D (B6×D2). the τ under both continuous low-intensity light and continuous darkenss varied significantly among strains. Under DD the mean τ was 23.8 h for B6, 23.7 h for D2, and 23.6 h for C. Under LL the mean τ was 25.1 for B6, 23.9 h for D2, and 25.5 h for C. Frequency histograms of the mean τ of 26B×D RI mouse strains (three to seven animals per strain) in either DD or LL and the difference between them, Δτ, had distributions which appeared unimodal, suggesting polygenic inheritances. The narrow-sense heritability determined using 26 strains of B×D RI mice was about 55% for τ and about 38% for both τ in LL and Δτ. An estimated four loci contribute to the variance of τ in constant darkness and five to the variance of τ in constant low-intensity light among the strains studied. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis identified several potential genetic loci associated with τ in constant darkness, τ in constant low-intensity light, and Δτ. The associations of highest probability for each of these traits were theD1Nds4 locus (p<0.001) on mouse chromosome 1, theD5Ncvs52 locus (p<.05) on mouse chromosome 5, and thePmv12 locus (p<.01) at 70 cM on mouse chromosome 5, respectively. A QTL identified for τ was associated (p<.05) with theD2NDS1 marker at 45 cM on chromsome 2 near the Ea 6 marker at 46 cM associated (p<.05) with that reported for the period of wheel running activity in seven C×B RI strains (Schwartz, W. J., and Zimmerman, P.,J. Neurosci. 10:3685 1990).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterans Affairs, Richard L. Roudebush Medical Center, Indina University, 46202, Indianapolis, Indiana

    John R. Hofstetter, Aimee R. Mayeda & John I. Nurnberger Jr.

  2. Institute for Psychiatric Research, 791 Union Drive, Department of Psychiatry, Indina University, 46202, Indianapolis, Indiana

    John R. Hofstetter, Aimee R. Mayeda & John I. Nurnberger Jr.

  3. Department of Biology, Skidmore College, 12866, Saratoga Springs, New York

    Bernard Possidente

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  1. John R. Hofstetter
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  2. Aimee R. Mayeda
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  4. John I. Nurnberger Jr.
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Correspondence to Aimee R. Mayeda.

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Hofstetter, J.R., Mayeda, A.R., Possidente, B. et al. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) for circadian rhythms of locomotor activity in mice. Behav Genet 25, 545–556 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02327578

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