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:

WMO report on global water resources: 2024 was characterized by both extreme drought and intense rainfall

New findings explain how a mutation in a cancer-related gen causes pulmonary fibrosis

Thermal trigger

SNU materials science and engineering team identifies reconstruction mechanism of copper alloy catalysts for CO₂ conversion

New book challenges misconceptions about evolution and our place in the tree of life

Decoding a decade of grouper grunts unlocks spawning secrets, shifts

Smart robots revolutionize structural health monitoring

Serum-derived hsa_circ_101555 as a diagnostic biomarker in non-hepatocellular carcinoma chronic liver disease

Korea University study identifies age 70 as cutoff for chemotherapy benefit in colorectal cancer

Study explores brain cell communication called ‘crosstalk’

4 beer and wine discoveries

Massage Therapy Foundation awards $299,465 research grant to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia

Chung-Ang University develops chloride-resistant Ru nanocatalysts for sustainable hydrogen production from seawater

Afghanistan’s August 2025 earthquake reveals the cost of international isolation, UN scientists warn

Shortlist announced for Panmure House Prize

Small nuclear RNA base editing a safer alternative to CRISPR, UC San Diego researchers find

Can Hayabusa2 touchdown? New study reveals space mission’s target asteroid is tinier and faster than thought

Millisecond windows of time may be key to how we hear, study finds

Graz University of Technology opens up new avenues in lung cancer research with digital cell twin

Exoplanets are not water worlds

Study shows increasing ‘healthy competition’ between menu options nudges patients towards greener, lower-fat hospital food choices

New insights into melanoma plasticity uncover a critical role of iron metabolism

A graphene sandwich — deposited or transferred?

New light-powered motor fits inside a strand of hair

Oil rig study reveals vital role of tiny hoverflies

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia researchers boost widespread use of dental varnish across pediatric network

iRECODE: A new computational method that brings clarity to single-cell analysis

New NUS-MOH study: Singapore’s healthcare sector carbon emissions 18% lower than expected, a milestone in the city-state’s net zero journey

QUT scientists create material to turn waste heat into clean power

Major new report sets out how to tackle the ‘profound and lasting impact’ of COVID-19 on cardiovascular health

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