1
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Kastrin A. Psychometric Properties of the Slovenian Version of Brief Sensation Seeking Scale. Healthcare (Basel) 2023; 12:56. [PMID: 38200963 PMCID: PMC10778945 DOI: 10.3390/healthcare12010056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2023] [Revised: 12/16/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Sensation seeking (SS) is a psychobiological personality trait characterized by an individual's propensity to engage in various forms of risk-taking behavior. The Brief Sensation Seeking Scale (BSSS-8) is a widely used instrument for assessing SS that has been translated into several languages. However, only outdated and non-validated questionnaires have been used to measure SS in the Slovenian population. The aim of this study was to translate and psychometrically validate the Slovenian version of the BSSS-8. A total of 363 participants aged between 14 and 65 years completed the translated BSSS-8 and the questionnaire on drug abuse. The scale demonstrated good reliability (Cronbach's α=0.81) and a unidimensional factorial structure as revealed by confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The multigroup CFA showed gender-specific measurement invariance. In the nomological network, SS was positively associated with drug-related variables. The Slovenian version of the BSSS-8 scale is a short and simple instrument to assess SS for research and epidemiological purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrej Kastrin
- Institute for Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
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2
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Gancarz AM, Hagarty DP, Cobb MM, Kausch MA, Krieg B, Alammari N, Gilbert K, Russo J, Dietz DM. Operant novelty seeking predicts cue-induced reinstatement following cocaine but not water reinforcement in male rats. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 2023; 240:2201-2215. [PMID: 37552291 PMCID: PMC10506955 DOI: 10.1007/s00213-023-06441-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/09/2023]
Abstract
RATIONALE An important facet of cocaine addiction is a high propensity to relapse, with increasing research investigating factors that predispose individuals toward uncontrolled drug use and relapse. A personality trait linked to drug addiction is high sensation seeking, i.e., a preference for novel sensations/experiences. In an animal model of sensation seeking, operant novelty seeking predicts the acquisition of drug self-administration. OBJECTIVE The primary goal of this research was to evaluate the hypothesis that sensitivity to the reinforcing effects of novel sensory stimuli predicts more intensive aspects of drug-taking behaviors, such as relapse. METHODS Rats were first tested for Operant Novelty Seeking, during which responses resulted in complex visual/auditory stimuli. Next, rats were trained to respond to water/cocaine reinforcers signaled by a cue light. Finally, rats were exposed to extinction in the absence of discrete cues and subsequently tested in a single session of cue-induced reinstatement, during which active responses resulted in cues previously paired with water/cocaine delivery. RESULTS The present study showed operant responses to produce novel sensory stimuli positively correlate with responding for cocaine during self-administration and during discrete cue-induced reinstatement, but no association with performance during extinction. A different pattern of associations was observed for a natural reward, in this case, water reinforcement. Here, the degree of novelty seeking also correlated with responding to water reinforcement and extinction responding; however, operant novelty seeking did not correlate with responding to water cues during testing of cue-induced reinstatement. Taken together, the incongruence of relationships indicates an underlying difference between natural and drug reinforcers. CONCLUSION In summary, we found a reinforcer-dependent relationship between operant novelty seeking (i.e., sensation seeking) and responsivity to extinction and discrete cues signaling availability for cocaine (i.e., craving), demonstrating the validity of the operant novelty seeking model to investigate drug seeking and relapse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amy M Gancarz
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, Dorothy Donahoe Hall (DDH) H106, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA, 93311, USA.
| | - Devin P Hagarty
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, Dorothy Donahoe Hall (DDH) H106, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA, 93311, USA
| | - Moriah M Cobb
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, Dorothy Donahoe Hall (DDH) H106, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA, 93311, USA
| | - Michael A Kausch
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, Dorothy Donahoe Hall (DDH) H106, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA, 93311, USA
| | - Brandon Krieg
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, Dorothy Donahoe Hall (DDH) H106, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA, 93311, USA
| | - Nora Alammari
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, Dorothy Donahoe Hall (DDH) H106, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA, 93311, USA
| | - Kameron Gilbert
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, Dorothy Donahoe Hall (DDH) H106, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA, 93311, USA
| | - Jacqueline Russo
- Department of Psychology, California State University, Bakersfield, Dorothy Donahoe Hall (DDH) H106, 9001 Stockdale Highway, Bakersfield, CA, 93311, USA
| | - David M Dietz
- Clinical and Research Institute On Addictions, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA
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3
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Leonardo M, Brunty S, Huffman J, Lester DB, Dickson PE. Effects of isolation housing stress and mouse strain on intravenous cocaine self-administration, sensory stimulus self-administration, and reward preference. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2810. [PMID: 36797314 PMCID: PMC9935522 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29579-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 02/07/2023] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensory stimuli are natural rewards in mice and humans. Consequently, preference for a drug reward relative to a sensory reward may be an endophenotype of addiction vulnerability. In this study, we developed a novel behavioral assay to quantify the preference for intravenous drug self-administration relative to sensory stimulus self-administration. We used founder strains of the BXD recombinant inbred mouse panel (C57BL/6J, DBA/2J) and a model of stress (isolation vs enriched housing) to assess genetic and epigenetic effects. Following 10 weeks of differential housing, all mice were tested under three reward conditions: sensory rewards available, cocaine rewards available, both rewards available. When a single reward was available (sensory stimuli or cocaine; delivered using distinct levers), DBA/2J mice self-administered significantly more rewards than C57BL/6J mice. When both rewards were available, DBA/2J mice exhibited a significant preference for cocaine relative to sensory stimuli; in contrast, C57BL/6J mice exhibited no preference. Housing condition influenced sensory stimulus self-administration and strain-dependently influenced inactive lever pressing when both rewards were available. Collectively, these data reveal strain effects, housing effects, or both on reward self-administration and preference. Most importantly, this study reveals that genetic mechanisms underlying preference for a drug reward relative to a nondrug reward can be dissected using the full BXD panel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Leonardo
- grid.259676.90000 0001 2214 9920Department of Biomedical Sciences, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, 1700 3rd Ave., Huntington, WV 25703 USA
| | - Sarah Brunty
- grid.259676.90000 0001 2214 9920Department of Biomedical Sciences, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, 1700 3rd Ave., Huntington, WV 25703 USA
| | - Jessica Huffman
- grid.259676.90000 0001 2214 9920Department of Biomedical Sciences, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, 1700 3rd Ave., Huntington, WV 25703 USA
| | - Deranda B. Lester
- grid.56061.340000 0000 9560 654XDepartment of Psychology, University of Memphis, 202 Psychology Building, Memphis, TN 38152 USA
| | - Price E. Dickson
- grid.259676.90000 0001 2214 9920Department of Biomedical Sciences, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, 1700 3rd Ave., Huntington, WV 25703 USA
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4
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Leonardo M, Brunty S, Huffman J, Kastigar A, Dickson PE. Intravenous fentanyl self-administration in male and female C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice. Sci Rep 2023; 13:799. [PMID: 36646781 PMCID: PMC9842734 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-27992-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 01/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The genetic mechanisms underlying fentanyl addiction, a highly heritable disease, are unknown. Identifying these mechanisms will lead to better risk assessment, early diagnosis, and improved intervention. To this end, we used intravenous fentanyl self-administration to quantify classical self-administration phenotypes and addiction-like fentanyl seeking in male and female mice from the two founder strains of the BXD recombinant inbred mouse panel (C57BL/6J and DBA/2J). We reached three primary conclusions from these experiments. First, mice from all groups rapidly acquired intravenous fentanyl self-administration and exhibited a dose-response curve, extinction burst, and extinction of the learned self-administration response. Second, fentanyl intake (during acquisition and dose response) and fentanyl seeking (during extinction) were equivalent among groups. Third, strain effects, sex effects, or both were identified for several addiction-like behaviors (cue-induced reinstatement, stress-induced reinstatement, escalation of intravenous fentanyl self-administration). Collectively, these data indicate that C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice of both sexes were able to acquire, regulate, and extinguish intravenous fentanyl self-administration. Moreover, these data reveal novel strain and sex effects on addiction-like behaviors in the context of intravenous fentanyl self-administration in mice and indicate that the full BXD panel can be used to identify and dissect the genetic mechanisms underlying these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Leonardo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, 1700 3rd Ave., Huntington, WV, 25703, USA
| | - Sarah Brunty
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, 1700 3rd Ave., Huntington, WV, 25703, USA
| | - Jessica Huffman
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, 1700 3rd Ave., Huntington, WV, 25703, USA
| | - Alexis Kastigar
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, 1700 3rd Ave., Huntington, WV, 25703, USA
| | - Price E Dickson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, 1700 3rd Ave., Huntington, WV, 25703, USA.
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5
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Bagley JR, Khan AH, Smith DJ, Jentsch JD. Extreme phenotypic diversity in operant response to intravenous cocaine or saline infusion in the hybrid mouse diversity panel. Addict Biol 2022; 27:e13162. [PMID: 35470554 PMCID: PMC9870574 DOI: 10.1111/adb.13162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 02/04/2022] [Accepted: 02/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
Cocaine self-administration is a complexly determined trait, with a substantial proportion of individual differences being determined by genetic variation. However, the relevant genetic variants that drive heritable differences in cocaine use remain undiscovered. Cocaine intravenous self-administration (IVSA) procedures in laboratory animals provide opportunities to prospectively investigate neurogenetic influences on the acquisition of voluntary cocaine use. Here, we provide information on cocaine (or saline-as a control) IVSA in 84 members of the hybrid mouse diversity panel (HMDP), an array of genetically distinct classical or recombinant inbred strains. We found cocaine IVSA to be substantially heritable in this population, with strain-level intake ranging for near 0 to >25 mg/kg/session. Though saline IVSA was also found to be heritable, a modest genetic correlation between cocaine and saline IVSA indicates that operant responding for the cocaine reinforcer was influenced, at least in part, by unique genetic variants. Genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of infusions earned in cocaine and saline groups revealed significant quantitative trait loci (QTL) on Chromosomes 3 and 14 for cocaine, but not saline, IVSA. Positional candidates were further prioritized through use of bulk RNA sequencing data that revealed genes with cis-eQTL and genetic correlation to number of infusions. Additionally, these data identify reference strains with extreme cocaine IVSA phenotypes, revealing them as polygenic models of risk and resilience to cocaine reinforcement. This work is part of an ongoing effort to characterize genetic variation that moderates cocaine IVSA that may, in turn, provide a more comprehensive understanding of cocaine risk genetics and neurobiology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jared R. Bagley
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
| | - Arshad H. Khan
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Desmond J. Smith
- Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - James D. Jentsch
- Department of Psychology, Binghamton University, Binghamton, New York, USA
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6
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New Insights on Gene by Environmental Effects of Drugs of Abuse in Animal Models Using GeneNetwork. Genes (Basel) 2022; 13:genes13040614. [PMID: 35456420 PMCID: PMC9024903 DOI: 10.3390/genes13040614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Gene-by-environment interactions are important for all facets of biology, especially behaviour. Families of isogenic strains of mice, such as the BXD strains, are excellently placed to study these interactions, as the same genome can be tested in multiple environments. BXD strains are recombinant inbred mouse strains derived from crossing two inbred strains—C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice. Many reproducible genometypes can be leveraged, and old data can be reanalysed with new tools to produce novel insights. We obtained drug and behavioural phenotypes from Philip et al. Genes, Brain and Behaviour 2010, and reanalysed their data with new genotypes from sequencing, as well as new models (Genome-wide Efficient Mixed Model Association (GEMMA) and R/qtl2). We discovered QTLs on chromosomes 3, 5, 9, 11, and 14, not found in the original study. We reduced the candidate genes based on their ability to alter gene expression or protein function. Candidate genes included Slitrk6 and Cdk14. Slitrk6, in a Chromosome14 QTL for locomotion, was found to be part of a co-expression network involved in voluntary movement and associated with neuropsychiatric phenotypes. Cdk14, one of only three genes in a Chromosome5 QTL, is associated with handling induced convulsions after ethanol treatment, that is regulated by the anticonvulsant drug valproic acid. By using families of isogenic strains, we can reanalyse data to discover novel candidate genes involved in response to drugs of abuse.
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7
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Dickson PE, Mittleman G. Working memory and pattern separation in founder strains of the BXD recombinant inbred mouse panel. Sci Rep 2022; 12:69. [PMID: 34996965 PMCID: PMC8741792 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-03850-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/07/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Working memory and pattern separation are fundamental cognitive abilities which, when impaired, significantly diminish quality of life. Discovering genetic mechanisms underlying innate and disease-induced variation in these cognitive abilities is a critical step towards treatments for common and devastating neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease. In this regard, the trial-unique nonmatching-to-location assay (TUNL) is a touchscreen operant conditioning procedure allowing simultaneous quantification of working memory and pattern separation in mice and rats. In the present study, we used the TUNL assay to quantify these cognitive abilities in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice. These strains are the founders of the BXD recombinant inbred mouse panel which enables discovery of genetic mechanisms underlying phenotypic variation. TUNL testing revealed that pattern separation was significantly influenced by mouse strain, whereas working memory was not. Moreover, horizontal distance and vertical distance between choice-phase stimuli had dissociable effects on TUNL performance. These findings provide novel data on mouse strain differences in pattern separation and support previous findings of equivalent working memory performance in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice. Although working memory of the BXD founder strains was equivalent in this study, working memory of BXD strains may be divergent because of transgressive segregation. Collectively, data presented here indicate that pattern separation is heritable in the mouse and that the BXD panel can be used to identify mechanisms underlying variation in pattern separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Price E Dickson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, 1700 3rd Ave., Huntington, WV, 25703, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, 400 Innovation Drive, Memphis, TN, 38111, USA.
| | - Guy Mittleman
- Department of Psychological Science, Ball State University, North Quad (NQ), Room 104, Muncie, IN, 47306, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, 400 Innovation Drive, Memphis, TN, 38111, USA
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8
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BXD Recombinant Inbred Mice as a Model to Study Neurotoxicity. Biomolecules 2021; 11:biom11121762. [PMID: 34944406 PMCID: PMC8698863 DOI: 10.3390/biom11121762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2021] [Revised: 11/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BXD recombinant inbred (RI) lines represent a genetic reference population derived from a cross between C57BL/6J mice (B6) and DBA/2J mice (D2), which through meiotic recombination events possesses recombinant chromosomes containing B6 or D2 haplotype segments. The quantitative trait loci (QTLs) are the locations of segregating genetic polymorphisms and are fundamental to understanding genetic diversity in human disease susceptibility and severity. QTL mapping represents the typical approach for identifying naturally occurring polymorphisms that influence complex phenotypes. In this process, genotypic values at markers of known genomic locations are associated with phenotypic values measured in a segregating population. Indeed, BXD RI strains provide a powerful tool to study neurotoxicity induced by different substances. In this review, we describe the use of BXD RI lines to understand the underlying mechanisms of neurotoxicity in response to ethanol and cocaine, as well as metals and pesticide exposures.
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9
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Dickson PE, Mittleman G. Strain and sex dependent effects of isolation housing relative to environmental enrichment on operant sensation seeking in mice. Sci Rep 2021; 11:17826. [PMID: 34497303 PMCID: PMC8426458 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-97252-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensation seeking is a multidimensional phenotype that predicts the development of drug addiction in humans and addiction-like drug seeking in rodents. Several lines of evidence suggest that chronic stress increases sensation seeking and addiction-like drug seeking through common genetic mechanisms. Discovery and characterization of these mechanisms would reveal how chronic stress interacts with the genome to influence sensation seeking and how drugs of abuse hijack these fundamental reward mechanisms to drive addiction. To this end, we tested the hypothesis that chronic isolation housing stress (relative to environmental enrichment) influences operant sensation seeking as a function of strain, sex, or their interaction. To determine if the BXD recombinant inbred panel could be used to identify genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying any identified gene-by-environment interactions, we used mice from the two BXD founder strains. Following 10 weeks of differential housing, we assessed operant sensation seeking using several reinforcement schedules. The primary finding from this study was that DBA/2J but not C57BL/6J mice were significantly vulnerable to an isolation-induced increase (relative to environmental enrichment) in sensation seeking during extinction when the sensory reward was no longer available; this effect was significantly more robust in females. These data reveal a previously unknown isolation-induced effect on extinction of operant sensation seeking that is sex-dependent, addiction-relevant, and that can be dissected using the BXD recombinant inbred panel.
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Affiliation(s)
- Price E Dickson
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, 1700 3rd Ave., Huntington, WV, 25703, USA.
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, 400 Innovation Drive, Memphis, TN, 38111, USA.
| | - Guy Mittleman
- Department of Psychological Science, Ball State University, North Quad (NQ), room 104, Muncie, IN, 47306, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, 400 Innovation Drive, Memphis, TN, 38111, USA
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10
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Ashbrook DG, Arends D, Prins P, Mulligan MK, Roy S, Williams EG, Lutz CM, Valenzuela A, Bohl CJ, Ingels JF, McCarty MS, Centeno AG, Hager R, Auwerx J, Lu L, Williams RW. A platform for experimental precision medicine: The extended BXD mouse family. Cell Syst 2021; 12:235-247.e9. [PMID: 33472028 PMCID: PMC7979527 DOI: 10.1016/j.cels.2020.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 89] [Impact Index Per Article: 29.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2020] [Revised: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/21/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
The challenge of precision medicine is to model complex interactions among DNA variants, phenotypes, development, environments, and treatments. We address this challenge by expanding the BXD family of mice to 140 fully isogenic strains, creating a uniquely powerful model for precision medicine. This family segregates for 6 million common DNA variants-a level that exceeds many human populations. Because each member can be replicated, heritable traits can be mapped with high power and precision. Current BXD phenomes are unsurpassed in coverage and include much omics data and thousands of quantitative traits. BXDs can be extended by a single-generation cross to as many as 19,460 isogenic F1 progeny, and this extended BXD family is an effective platform for testing causal modeling and for predictive validation. BXDs are a unique core resource for the field of experimental precision medicine.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G Ashbrook
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA.
| | - Danny Arends
- Lebenswissenschaftliche Fakultät, Albrecht Daniel Thaer-Institut, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Invalidenstraße 42, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Pjotr Prins
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Megan K Mulligan
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Suheeta Roy
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Evan G Williams
- Luxembourg Centre for Systems Biomedicine, Université du Luxembourg, L-4365 Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg
| | - Cathleen M Lutz
- Mouse Repository and the Rare and Orphan Disease Center, the Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA
| | - Alicia Valenzuela
- Mouse Repository and the Rare and Orphan Disease Center, the Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, ME 04609, USA
| | - Casey J Bohl
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Jesse F Ingels
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Melinda S McCarty
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Arthur G Centeno
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA
| | - Reinmar Hager
- Division of Evolution & Genomic Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Academic Health Science Centre, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL, UK
| | - Johan Auwerx
- Laboratory of Integrative Systems Physiology, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Lu Lu
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA.
| | - Robert W Williams
- Department of Genetics, Genomics and Informatics, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163, USA.
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11
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Dickson PE, Mittleman G. Environmental enrichment influences novelty reactivity, novelty preference, and anxiety via distinct genetic mechanisms in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3928. [PMID: 33594184 PMCID: PMC7887236 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83574-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental factors such as stress drive the development of drug addiction in genetically vulnerable individuals; the genes underlying this vulnerability are unknown. One strategy for uncovering these genes is to study the impact of environmental manipulation on high-throughput phenotypes that predict drug use and addiction-like behaviors. In the present study, we assessed the viability of this approach by evaluating the relative effects of environmental enrichment and isolation housing on three high-throughput phenotypes known to predict variation on distinct aspects of intravenous drug self-administration. Prior to behavioral testing, male and female C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice (BXD founders) were housed in enrichment or isolation for ten weeks beginning at weaning. Enrichment significantly reduced novelty reactivity; this effect was significantly more robust in C57BL/6J mice relative to DBA/2J mice. Enrichment significantly reduced novelty preference; this effect was significantly dependent on novel environment characteristics and was significantly more robust in DBA/2J mice relative to C57BL/6J mice. Enrichment significantly increased anxiety; this effect was not strain-dependent. Collectively, these data indicate that (1) environmental enrichment influences novelty reactivity, novelty preference, and anxiety via distinct genetic mechanisms in mice, and (2) the BXD panel can be used to discover the genetic and epigenetic mechanisms underlying this phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Price E Dickson
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, 400 Innovation Drive, Memphis, TN, 38111, USA.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine, Marshall University, 1700 3rd Ave., Huntington, WV, 25703, USA.
| | - Guy Mittleman
- Department of Psychology, University of Memphis, 400 Innovation Drive, Memphis, TN, 38111, USA
- Department of Psychological Science, Ball State University, North Quad (NQ), room 104, Muncie, IN, 47306, USA
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12
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Dickson PE, Mittleman G. Stimulus Complexity and Mouse Strain Drive Escalation of Operant Sensation Seeking Within and Across Sessions in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J Mice. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 13:286. [PMID: 31998094 PMCID: PMC6965071 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Accepted: 12/13/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Sensation seeking is a heritable trait that is genetically correlated with substance use; the shared genetic mechanisms underlying these traits are largely unknown. The relationship of sensation seeking and substance use has practical importance because discovering genes that drive sensation seeking can reveal genes driving substance use, and quantification of sensation seeking in mice is higher throughput and less technically challenging than quantification of volitional drug use. In order to fully understand the genetic mechanisms driving sensation seeking, it is critical to first understand the nongenetic factors driving sensation seeking. In the present study, we used the operant sensation seeking paradigm to assess the effects of stimulus complexity on sensation seeking in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice. These strains are the founders of the BXD recombinant inbred mouse panel which enables the discovery of genes driving phenotypic variation. This study led to four principal conclusions. First, all sensory stimuli used in the study, regardless of complexity or number of stimulus modalities, served as reinforcers for C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice. Second, for both C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice, sensation seeking for a high complexity sensory stimulus was significantly greater than sensation seeking for a low complexity sensory stimulus. Third, for both C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice, sensation seeking escalated significantly within-session when a multimodal sensory stimulus of medium or high complexity was used but not when a unimodal sensory stimulus of low complexity was used. Finally, both the magnitude of sensation seeking and the magnitude of within-session escalation of sensation seeking were significantly greater in mice from the DBA/2J strain relative to mice from the C57BL/6J strain. Collectively, these findings indicate that stimulus complexity and genetic background drive escalation of operant sensation seeking within and across sessions, and that the BXD recombinant inbred mouse panel can be used to discover the genetic mechanisms underlying these phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guy Mittleman
- Department of Psychological Science, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, United States
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13
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Dickson PE, Mittleman G. Visual Discrimination, Serial Reversal, and Extinction Learning in the mdx Mouse. Front Behav Neurosci 2019; 13:200. [PMID: 31543764 PMCID: PMC6728792 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/14/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common form of muscular dystrophy and the most common neuromuscular disorder. In addition to neuromuscular consequences, some individuals with DMD experience global intellectual dysfunction and executive dysfunction of unknown mechanistic origin. The cognitive profile of the mdx mouse, the most commonly used mouse model of DMD, has been incompletely characterized and has never been assessed using the touchscreen operant conditioning paradigm. The touchscreen paradigm allows the use of protocols that are virtually identical to those used in human cognitive testing and may, therefore, provide the most translational paradigm for quantifying mouse cognitive function. In the present study, we used the touchscreen paradigm to assess the effects of the mdx mutation on visual discrimination learning, serial reversal learning, and extinction learning. To enable measuring task-dependent learning and memory processes while holding demands on sensory-driven information processing constant, we developed equally salient visual stimuli and used them on all experimental stages. Acquisition of the initial pairwise visual discrimination was facilitated in mdx mice relative to wildtype littermates; this effect was not explained by genotypic differences in impulsivity, motivation, or motor deficits. The mdx mutation had no effect on serial reversal or extinction learning. Together, findings from this study and previous studies suggest that mdx effects on cognitive function are task-specific and may be influenced by discrimination type (spatial, visual), reward type (food, escape from a non-preferred environment), sex, and genetic background.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Guy Mittleman
- Department of Psychological Science, Ball State University, Muncie, IN, United States
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14
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Dickson PE, Roy TA, McNaughton KA, Wilcox TD, Kumar P, Chesler EJ. Systems genetics of sensation seeking. GENES BRAIN AND BEHAVIOR 2018; 18:e12519. [PMID: 30221471 PMCID: PMC6399063 DOI: 10.1111/gbb.12519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2018] [Revised: 09/09/2018] [Accepted: 09/11/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Sensation seeking is a multifaceted, heritable trait which predicts the development of substance use and abuse in humans; similar phenomena have been observed in rodents. Genetic correlations among sensation seeking and substance use indicate shared biological mechanisms, but the genes and networks underlying these relationships remain elusive. Here, we used a systems genetics approach in the BXD recombinant inbred mouse panel to identify shared genetic mechanisms underlying substance use and preference for sensory stimuli, an intermediate phenotype of sensation seeking. Using the operant sensation seeking (OSS) paradigm, we quantified preference for sensory stimuli in 120 male and 127 female mice from 62 BXD strains and the C57BL/6J and DBA/2J founder strains. We used relative preference for the active and inactive levers to dissociate preference for sensory stimuli from locomotion and exploration phenotypes. We identified genomic regions on chromosome 4 (155.236‐155.742 Mb) and chromosome 13 (72.969‐89.423 Mb) associated with distinct behavioral components of OSS. Using publicly available behavioral data and mRNA expression data from brain regions involved in reward processing, we identified (a) genes within these behavioral QTL exhibiting genome‐wide significant cis‐eQTL and (b) genetic correlations among OSS phenotypes, ethanol phenotypes and mRNA expression. From these analyses, we nominated positional candidates for behavioral QTL associated with distinct OSS phenotypes including Gnb1 and Mef2c. Genetic covariation of Gnb1 expression, preference for sensory stimuli and multiple ethanol phenotypes suggest that heritable variation in Gnb1 expression in reward circuitry partially underlies the widely reported relationship between sensation seeking and substance use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Price E. Dickson
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of AddictionThe Jackson LaboratoryBar HarborMaine
| | - Tyler A. Roy
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of AddictionThe Jackson LaboratoryBar HarborMaine
| | | | - Troy D. Wilcox
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of AddictionThe Jackson LaboratoryBar HarborMaine
| | - Padam Kumar
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of AddictionThe Jackson LaboratoryBar HarborMaine
| | - Elissa J. Chesler
- Center for Systems Neurogenetics of AddictionThe Jackson LaboratoryBar HarborMaine
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