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Multivariate analysis of quantitative trait loci influencing variation in anxiety-related behavior in laboratory mice

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Abstract

The number and mode of action of quantitative trait loci (QTL) that contribute to behavioral variation in rodents is still largely unknown. On theoretical grounds, multivariate techniques are expected to yield new insights into this problem, but there are only a few examples of its application in practice. Here we explore the power of multivariate approaches to uncover the genetic architecture of 23 anxiety-related phenotypes in 1636 F2 laboratory mice. We detected QTL with a genome-wide significance threshold of P < 0.05 on 14 chromosomes, of which 10 correspond to those identified by univariate analysis. Novel QTL were found on Chromosomes 3, 9, 13, and 17. Thus, multivariate analyses increased the yield of QTL exceeding a genome-wide significance threshold by 40%. On the basis of these results and by the application of a QTL estimator, we show that the mean number of QTL influencing anxiety-related behavior in mice is 6, with a 95% upper limit of 14.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford, Roosevelt Drive, Oxford, OX3 7BN, UK

    Maria Grazia Turri & Jonathan Flint

  2. Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder, Colorado 80309, USA

    John C. DeFries

  3. Oberlin College, Oberlin, Ohio 44074-1086, USA

    Norman D. Henderson

Authors
  1. Maria Grazia Turri
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  2. John C. DeFries
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  3. Norman D. Henderson
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  4. Jonathan Flint
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Correspondence to Jonathan Flint.

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Grazia Turri, M., DeFries, J.C., Henderson, N.D. et al. Multivariate analysis of quantitative trait loci influencing variation in anxiety-related behavior in laboratory mice . Mamm Genome 15, 69–76 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00335-003-3032-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00335-003-3032-y

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