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At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
PubMed1989

The effect of novel chromosome position and variable dose on the genetic behavior of the Responder (Rsp) element of the Segregation distorter (SD) system of Drosophila melanogaster.

In the Segregation distorter (SD) system of meiotic drive, a minimum of two trans-acting elements [Sd and E(SD)] act in concert to cause a certain probability of dysfunction for sperm carrying a sensitive allele at the Responder (Rsp) target locus. By employing a number of insertional translocations of autosomal material into the long arm of the Y chromosome, Rsp can be mapped as the most proximal locus in the 2R heterochromatin as defined both by cytology and lethal complementation tests. Several of these insertional translocations result in the transposition of Rsp to the Y chromosome, where its sensitivity remains virtually unaltered. This argues that Rsp is separable from the second chromosome centromere, that its behavior does not depend on its gross chromosomal position, and that meiotic pairing of the chromosomes carrying the various SD elements is not a prerequisite for sperm dysfunction. Several other translocations apparently leave both resulting chromosomes at least partially sensitive to SD action, suggesting that Rsp is a large subdivisible genetic element. This view is compatible with observations published elsewhere that suggest that Rsp is a cytologically large region of highly repetitive AT-rich DNA. The availability of Y-linked copies of Rsp also allows the construction of SD males carrying two independently segregating Rsp alleles; this in turn allows the production of sperm with zero, one or two Rsp copies from the same male. Examination of the relative recovery proportions of progeny arising from these gametes suggests that sperm with two Rsp copies survive at much lower frequencies than would be predicted if each Rsp acted independently in causing sperm dysfunction. Possible explanations for such behavior are discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Behavioral genetics: guanylyl cyclase prompts worms to party.

When it comes to foraging, there are two types of worm in the world: those who enjoy a party, and those who prefer to dine alone. Two recent reports describe roles for guanylyl cyclase in the neuromolecular signaling systems that effect this natural behavioral dimorphism.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

Multivariate and behavior genetic analysis of avoidance of complex visual stimuli and activity in recombinant inbred strains of mice.

Sixty-six mice of 11 genetic stocks (the Bailey recombinant inbred strains CXBD, CXBE, CXBG, CXBH, CXBI, CXBJ, CXBK; their progenitor strains, BALB/cBy and C57BL/6By: and the reciprocal hybrids, B6CF and CB6F) were tested in a two-compartment apparatus and in a shuttlebox, with five measures taken relating to activity and to approaches to novel and complex stimuli. A factor analysis of these measures revealed two factors, the first involving behavior relating to novel stimuli and the second relating to locomotor activity. In a second experiment, 132 mice of the same strains were tested on four of the measures used previously. On the two measures which had high loadings on the first factor and very low loadings on the second, it was possible to determine a strain distribution pattern (SDP), with the same SDP being found for both measures. When confirmed by testing mice from two congenic histocompatibility strains H(w54) and H(w80), we were able to determine that avoidance of novel/complex stimuli (neophobia) is controlled by a gene or genes at chromosomal segments H-24c and H-1b. It was also found that a polygenic model is consistent with behavior measured by the second (activity) factor.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

Behavior genetics of olfactory responses in Drosophila. I. Olfactometry and strain differences in Drosophila melanogaster.

A simple olfactometer was constructed for measuring the responses of adult Drosophila to odoriferous substances, and an index (attractability index, AI) is proposed to evaluate the response. Five strains of Drosophila melanogaster of different geographic origins were tested for their responses to five chemical attractants: ethyl alcohol, acetic acid, lactic acid, ethyl acetate, and n-butyraldehyde. Statistical analysis has shown that the differences of AI among strains are highly significant for all the odorants except acetic acid and that male flies are, in general, less sensitive than females. The number of flies which were inactive in the olfactometer also varied with strain, sex, and odorant, suggesting the involvement of some other behaviors, and this raises some difficulties in interpreting the heterogeneities of AI. Nevertheless, these results suggest that a considerable amount of genetic variation for olfactory response exists in natural population of D. melanogaster.

Acetates↗
PubMed1989

Gordon Memorial Lecture. The genetic-behavior interface and well-being of poultry.

Marked changes have occurred in poultry production practices and in stocks bred for the production of meat and eggs. Of behavior pattern that originally favoured domestication, positive responses to humans and adaptability to environments are now most important. Development of specific strains for production of meat or eggs resulted in correlated responses in behavioural traits. Compared with egg strains, meat strains are docile and have excessive appetites, poor immunoresponsiveness and reduced motor ability. Genotype by environment interactions for behaviour limit inferences concerning responses of stocks across environments. Innate behaviour patterns and habituation processes can prevent some stimuli from causing physiological manifestations observed in general responses to stressors. Husbandry procedures should optimise phenotypic expressions of genetic potential to enhance well-being.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1972

Genetic behavior of R factors in Vibrio cholerae.

The fi(+) and fi(-) R factors are unstable in Vibrio cholerae even on selective media containing antibiotics, although a temperature-sensitive kanamycin resistance factor and its recombinants are stably maintained in V. cholerae at low temperatures.

Chloramphenicol↗
PubMed2004

The role of pregnane neurosteroids in ethanol withdrawal: behavioral genetic approaches.

Within the last 20 years, rapid nongenomic actions of steroid hormones have been demonstrated to occur via an interaction with ligand-gated ion channels. For example, the pregnane neurosteroid allopregnanolone (ALLOP) is a potent positive modulator of gamma-aminobutyric acid(A) (GABA(A)) receptors. The physiological significance of fluctuations in endogenous ALLOP levels has been investigated with regard to disease states and the effect of therapeutic agents on ALLOP levels. Because the pharmacological profile of ALLOP is similar to that of ethanol (EtOH), the modulatory effect of pregnane neurosteroids on EtOH dependence and withdrawal will be the focus of this review. Data on the effects of chronic EtOH exposure and withdrawal on pregnane neurosteroid levels, biosynthetic enzymes, and changes in neurosteroid sensitivity will be summarized. Results from genetic animal models indicate that seizure-prone animals have a persistent decrease in endogenous ALLOP levels during EtOH withdrawal in conjunction with tolerance to ALLOP's anticonvulsant effect. Manipulation of endogenous ALLOP levels with finasteride also markedly reduced the severity of chronic EtOH withdrawal. Gene mapping studies provide a hint for an interaction between genes for GABA(A) receptor subunits and the biosynthetic enzyme 5alpha-reductase. Overall, the results are suggestive of a relationship between endogenous pregnane neurosteroid levels and behavioral changes in excitability during EtOH withdrawal, consistent with recent findings in humans. While the findings with ALLOP emphasize the therapeutic potential of neurosteroid treatment during EtOH withdrawal, the gene mapping studies suggest that pregnane neurosteroid biosynthesis may represent a target for therapeutic intervention in the treatment of alcohol dependence.

Alcohol-Related Disorders↗
PubMed1988

Opioids and behavior: genetic aspects.

Three animal models, based on genetic differences in endogenous opioid peptides and opioid receptors, are described. Obese mice and rats, whose pituitary opioid content is elevated, may be used to investigate eating disorders. Recombinant inbred strains of mice, which differ in brain opioid receptors and analgesic responsiveness, can be used for study of opioid- and nonopioid-mediated mechanisms of pain inhibition. Individual reactivity to opioids can be examined in C57BL/6 and DBA/2 inbred strains of mice. A model that combines a variety of opioid effects is offered and suggests the existence of a genetically determined dissociation of opioid effects on locomotor activity and pain inhibition. In addition, stimulatory locomotor responses in the C57BL/6 reaction type are linked to a high risk of drug addiction and facilitatory effects on adaptive processes, while high analgesic potency in the DBA/2 reaction type is accompanied by a low proneness to drug abuse and amnesic properties of opioids.

Animals↗
PubMed1980

Genetic behavior of the methicillin resistance determinant in Staphylococcus aureus.

The cotransformation frequency of mecC5 with pur-102 using Staphylococcus aureus C5 deoxyribonucleic acid was found to be approximately 45%. However, in cotransduction studies, there was a 15% cotransduction of purine prototrophy and methicillin sensitivity but, in the reciprocal cross, no purine-prototrophic plus Mecr cotransductants were obtained (frequency less than 0.06%). The data support the hypothesis that the mec determinant resides on an inserted deoxyribonucleic acid sequence in S. aureus and that there is no allelic equivalent in sensitive cells.

DNA Transposable Elements↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Behavioral genetics of caenorhabditis elegans unc-103-encoded erg-like K(+) channel.

The Caenorhabditis elegans unc-103 gene encodes a potassium channel whose sequence is most similar to the ether-a-go-go related gene (erg) type of K+ channels. We find that the n 500 and e 1597 gain-of-function (gf) mutations in unc-103 cause reduced excitation in most muscles, while loss-of-function (lf) mutations cause mild muscle hyper-excitability. Both gf alleles change the same residue near the cytoplasmic end of S6, consistent with this region regulating channel activation. We also report additional dominant-negative and lf alleles of unc-103 that can antagonize or reduce the function of both gf and wild-type alleles. The unc-103 locus contains 6 promoter regions that express unc-103 in different combinations of body-wall and sex-specific muscles, motor-, inter- and sensory-neurons. Each promoter drives transcripts containing a unique first exon, conferring sequence variability to the N-terminus of the UNC-103 protein, while three splice variants introduce variability into the UNC-103 C-terminus. unc-103(0) hermaphrodites prematurely lay embryos that would normally be retained in the uterus and lay eggs under conditions that inhibit egg-laying behavior. In the egg-laying circuit, unc-103 is expressed in vulval muscles and the HSN neurons from different promoters. Supplying the proper UNC-103 isoform to the vulval muscles is sufficient to restore regulation to egg-laying behavior.

Alleles↗
PubMed1985

Evidence that two mutations, wDZL and z1, affecting synapsis-dependent genetic behavior of white are transcriptional regulatory mutations.

Both the white mutant allele, wDZL, and the zeste mutant allele, z1, reduce white transcript levels in adult head tissues, but have no effect on these levels in other tested adult tissues. wDZL results from insertion of a complex transposon approximately 5.0 kb 5' to white. Juxtaposition of this transposon to white produces a novel transcription unit beginning in the transposon and producing a mature transcript containing both white and transposon sequences. Head-specific expression of this novel transcription unit correlates with the observed repression of wild-type white transcript levels. wDZL and z1 are known to cause synapsis-dependent repression of w+ expression in trans as assessed by eye pigment deposition. Collectively, these results suggest an unexpected and informative correspondence between cis and synapsis-dependent trans regulatory effects. We discuss the implied mechanistic relationship between regulation of transcription and transvection effects in Drosophila.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1975

[The influence of several prophages on the genetic behavior of Flexner dysentery bacteria].

In conjugation experiments of Escherichia coli K-12 Hfr strains and converted clones of Shigella flexneri var. y(-:3,4) that had acquired the capacity to synthesize type of antigens IV or V it is confirmed that the locus linked to lac-pro region in Sh. flexneri chromosome called Tp locus is a site of an attachment of prophages responsible for certain type specific antigens. Lac+ hybrids of the clone converted by phage IV lost the type specific antigen IV with the frequency comparable with the loss of the aforementioned antigen by wild strains of Sh. flexneri ser 4 in similar experiments carried out previously (90,8% and 97% respectively). Lac+ hybrids of the clones converted by phage V did not lose the type antigen that corresponded to the behaviour of wild strains of serotype 5b (V: 7,8) with double lysogenicity. It was shown that the clones converted by the aforementioned phage V had acquired an immunity not only to phage V, but to phage 7,8 as well. An independent segregation of immunity to phages V and 7,8 in lac+ hybrids of the converted clone was observed. It indicates that donor strain NTCC 595/52 carries two prophages, V and "defect" 7,8 (not expressing factor 7,8). A maintenance of antigen V observed in lac+ hybrids of the converted clone in this case confirms previous suggestions that an attachment of prophage 7,8 creates a state of some inhomology in this region disturbing the recombination process. The converting phage V isolated from the strain NTCC 595/52 is probably recombinant. An analysis of the hybrid classes allows to suggest the following approximate order of markers of the prophage on the chromosome of the converted clone: aV--imm V--imm 7,8--lac.

Bacteriophages↗
PubMed2004

Autism and 15q11-q13 disorders: behavioral, genetic, and pathophysiological issues.

New insights into biological factors that underlie autism may be gained by comparing autism to other neurodevelopmental disorders that have autistic features and relatively well-delineated genetic etiologies or neurobiological findings. This review moves beyond global diagnoses of autism and instead uses an endophenotypic approach to compare specific clusters of autistic symptomatology to features of chromosome 15q11-q13 disorders. Paternally or maternally derived deficiencies of 15q11-q13 result in Prader-Willi or Angelman syndromes, and we first use a global approach to review potential autism susceptibility genes in the 15q11-q13 region. We then use a more trait-based approach to suggest possible ties between specific phenotypic characteristics of autism and Prader-Willi syndrome, namely savant-like skills. We conclude with insights from pathophysiological studies that implicate altered development of specific neuron types and circuits in the cerebral cortex as part of the pathophysiological processes associated with autism and mental retardation.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

The developmental behavior genetics of drug involvement: overview and comments.

The papers in this special issue have in common an interest in developmental variations in the heritability of substance use, abuse, and problems. A number of the studies are longitudinal, and even those that are cross-sectional are analytically focused on whether heritability, shared, and nonshared environmentality effects are constant or change over the period from onset of use to the time when problem use is more constant. This commentary provides an overview of the work from a developmental psychopathology perspective. Findings are linked to the existing longitudinal/developmental literature on the epigenesis of substance use disorders and similarities and contradictions are noted. Suggestions for next step work, involving the need for increased differentiation of the substance abuse phenotypes, the utilization of phenotypic measures that delineate heterogeneity of course, and more precise definition of the specific environmental variations that underlie shared and nonshared environmental liability, are provided.

Adolescent↗