PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Cocaine, meth response differ between 2 substrains of 'Black 6' laboratory mouse

2013-12-20
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Joyce Peterson
joyce.peterson@jax.org
207-288-6058
Jackson Laboratory
Cocaine, meth response differ between 2 substrains of 'Black 6' laboratory mouse

Researchers including Jackson Laboratory Professor Gary Churchill, Ph.D., have found a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) difference in cocaine and methamphetamine response between two substrains of the C57BL/6 or "Black 6" inbred laboratory mouse, pointing to Cyfip2 as a regulator of cocaine response with a possible role in addiction.

The research team, led by Joseph Takahashi, Ph.D., of University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, compared the sensitivities to cocaine and methamphetamine in C57BL/6J mice from The Jackson Laboratory and C57BL/6N mice from colonies raised at the National Institutes of Health, finding that 6N mice have lower response than the 6J ones.

Mapping the difference to a single quantitative trail locus (QTL) on chromosome 11, followed by whole-genome sequencing, led to the researchers' identification of a SNP in a gene known as Cyfip2, a highly conserved protein associated with fragile X-mental retardation protein (FMRP), part of a complex that is the most common cause of mental retardation in humans.

The researchers' methods demonstrate that the variations among some 20 C57BL/6 substrains can be used as a rich gene-finding resource. But these variations also highlight the issue of genetic quality control in mouse populations.

Jackson Laboratory founder Clarence Cook Little first developed the C57BL/6 mouse in 1921, and it is now the world's most widely used laboratory mouse strain. In 2002 an international consortium published the first genome of a laboratory mouse: that of a 6J mouse from The Jackson Laboratory.

Because of genetic drift over nearly a century, populations of 6J mice originally obtained from The Jackson Laboratory have developed into at least 20 substrains. Notable among them is the C57BL/6N substrain based on 6J mice that the National Institutes of Health first obtained in 1951. In the intervening decades, the genomes of the substrains have diverged.

"This means that researchers should be very cautious when comparing behavioral data from studies using 6J and 6N strains," Churchill says. "They are clearly not interchangeable."

To address the issue of genetic drift, The Jackson Laboratory uses a genetic quality control program for its most widely used inbred strains, including C57BL/6J. Every five generations, the Laboratory "refreshes" its production colonies by raising mice from cryopreserved 6J embryos, preventing spontaneous mutations from altering the 6J line.



INFORMATION:

The Jackson Laboratory is an independent, nonprofit biomedical research institution based in Bar Harbor, Maine, with a facility in Sacramento, Calif., and a new genomic medicine institute in Farmington, Conn. It employs more than 1,500 staff, and its mission is to discover precise genomic solutions for disease and empower the global biomedical community in the shared quest to improve human health.

Kumar et al.: C57BL/6N Mutation in Cytoplasmic FMR interacting protein 2 Regulates Cocaine Response. Science, Dec. 20, 2013.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Researchers generate kidney tubular cells from stem cells

2013-12-20
Researchers generate kidney tubular cells from stem cells Advance could allow regenerative medicine to replace dialysis or transplantation for treating kidney failure Washington, DC (December 19, 2013) — Researchers have successfully coaxed stem cells to become kidney ...

Stowers researchers announce first genetic model of a human jaw fusion defect known as syngnathia

2013-12-20
Stowers researchers announce first genetic model of a human jaw fusion defect known as syngnathia KANSAS CITY, MO—The face you critiqued in the mirror this morning was sculpted before you were born by a transient population of cells called neural crest ...

Team finds new way to map important drug targets

2013-12-20
Team finds new way to map important drug targets Innovative techniques and new X-ray technology enable faster, more accurate imaging of hard-to-study membrane proteins LA JOLLA, CA — December 19, 2013 — Researchers have used new techniques and one of the brightest ...

Saving dollars while helping babies

2013-12-20
Saving dollars while helping babies Nurse home visits for infants save $3 for every $1 spent DURHAM, N.C. – As healthcare costs continue to balloon, a new Duke study points to a surprising avenue for potential savings: nurse home visits. For every $1 spent on nurse home ...

Throwing out the textbook: Salt surprises chemists

2013-12-20
Throwing out the textbook: Salt surprises chemists Washington, D.C.—Table salt, sodium chloride, is one of the first chemical compounds that schoolchildren learn. New research from a team including Carnegie's Alexander Goncharov shows that under ...

X-ray laser maps important drug target

2013-12-20
X-ray laser maps important drug target New technology allows faster, more accurate imaging of hard-to-study membrane proteins Menlo Park, Calif. — Researchers have used one of the brightest X-ray sources on the planet to map the 3-D structure ...

Anxiety linked to higher long-term risk of stroke

2013-12-20
Anxiety linked to higher long-term risk of stroke American Heart Association Rapid Access Journal Report The greater your anxiety level, the higher your risk of having a stroke, according to new research published in the American Heart Association journal Stroke. The ...

Natural gas saves water, even when factoring in water lost to hydraulic fracturing

2013-12-20
Natural gas saves water, even when factoring in water lost to hydraulic fracturing A new study finds that in Texas, the U.S. state that annually generates the most electricity, the transition from coal to natural gas for electricity generation is saving ...

Scientists decode serotonin receptor at room temperature

2013-12-20
Scientists decode serotonin receptor at room temperature X-ray laser opens up new paths for investigating biomolecules This news release is available in German. An international research team has decoded the molecular structure of the medically ...

Gladstone scientists discover how immune cells die during HIV infection; identify potential drug to block AIDS

2013-12-20
Gladstone scientists discover how immune cells die during HIV infection; identify potential drug to block AIDS Gladstone plans to launch Phase 2 trial with existing anti-inflammatory SAN FRANCISCO, CA—December 19, 2013—Research led by scientists at the Gladstone ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

AI revives classic microscopy for on-farm soil health testing

Fig trees convert atmospheric CO2 to stone

Intra-arterial tenecteplase for acute stroke after successful endovascular therapy

Study reveals beneficial microbes that can sustain yields in unfertilized fields

Robotic probe quickly measures key properties of new materials

Climate change cuts milk production, even when farmers cool their cows

Frozen, but not sealed: Arctic Ocean remained open to life during ice ages

Some like it cold: Cryorhodopsins

Demystifying gut bacteria with AI

Human wellbeing on a finite planet towards 2100: new study shows humanity at a crossroads

Unlocking the hidden biodiversity of Europe’s villages

Planned hydrogen refuelling stations may lead to millions of euros in yearly losses

Planned C-sections increase the risk of certain childhood cancers

Adults who have survived childhood cancer are at increased risk of severe COVID-19

Drones reveal extreme coral mortality after bleaching

New genetic finding uncovers hidden cause of arsenic resistance in acute promyelocytic leukemia

Native habitats hold the key to the much-loved smashed avocado’s future

Using lightning to make ammonia out of thin air

Machine learning potential-driven insights into pH-dependent CO₂ reduction

Physician associates provide safe care for diagnosed patients when directly supervised by a doctor

How game-play with robots can bring out their human side

Asthma: patient expectations influence the course of the disease

UNM physician tests drug that causes nerve tissue to emit light, enabling faster, safer surgery

New study identifies EMP1 as a key driver of pancreatic cancer progression and poor prognosis

XPR1 identified as a key regulator of ovarian cancer growth through autophagy and immune evasion

Flexible, eco-friendly electronic plastic for wearable tech, sensors

Can the Large Hadron Collider snap string theory?

Stuckeman professor’s new book explores ‘socially sustainable’ architecture

Synthetic DNA nanoparticles for gene therapy

New model to find treatments for an aggressive blood cancer

[Press-News.org] Cocaine, meth response differ between 2 substrains of 'Black 6' laboratory mouse