Chromosomes 4 and 13 in beta-carboline-induced seizures in mice: benzodiazepine binding

An animal model for the study of the genetic bases of behaviour in men: the multiple marker strains (MMS)

Animal models are often used for preclinical research on the neurobiology of psychiatric disorders. Whereas many are employed to screen new therapeutic agents, few of them are used to study the genetic bases of psychiatric diseases, probably because of the complex genetic determinism underlying quantitative behavioral traits such as mood, personality or intelligence. The present article presents a short review introducing an analysis model using mice: the marker strains model. Using this model it is possible both to display genetic determinism data and to locate some of the chromosomal fragments involved in the regulation of anxiogenic processes. At present it cannot accurately determine the position of one or more genes, but it does provide a valuable means of 'scanning' the genome for an approximation. Through genetic analysis, using the model, an attempt will be made to identify autosomal fragments which may be involved in two behavioural traits: anxiety and chemical-induced seizures. In this paper, after reviewing theoretical aspects of looking for genes involved in behaviour, we will successively introduce studies in genetic topics in psychiatric human studies as well as appropriated behavioural animal studies. Then we will present a genetic model in mice which allows us to locate chromosomal fragments associated with a behavioural trait: multiple marker strains.