Genetic Influences on Brain Gene Expression in Rats Selected for Tameness and Aggression

Interindividual differences in many behaviors are partly due to genetic differences, but the identification of the genes and variants that influence behavior remains challenging. Here, we studied an F2 intercross of two outbred lines of rats selected for tame and aggressive behavior toward humans for >64 generations. By using a mapping approach that is able to identify genetic loci segregating within the lines, we identified four times more loci influencing tameness and aggression than by an approach that assumes fixation of causative alleles, suggesting that many causative loci were not driven to fixation by the selection. We used RNA sequencing in 150 F2 animals to identify hundreds of loci that influence brain gene expression. Several of these loci colocalize with tameness loci and may reflect the same genetic variants. Through analyses of correlations between allele effects on behavior and gene expression, differential expression between the tame and aggressive rat selection lines, and correlations between gene expression and tameness in F2 animals, we identify the genes Gltscr2, Lgi4, Zfp40, and Slc17a7 as candidate contributors to the strikingly different behavior of the tame and aggressive animals.

• Publication year

  2014

• Venue

  Genetics

• Publication date

  2014-04-14

• Fields of study

  Biology, Medicine, Psychology

• Identifiers
  DOI 10.1534/genetics.114.168948arXiv 1404.3655PMID 25189874PMCID PMC4224166
• External record

  Open on Semantic Scholar

• Source metadata

  Semantic Scholar, PubMed

• Gltscr2, Lgi4, Zfp40, and Slc17a7 are candidate contributors to the behavior differences between tame and aggressive animals.

  Confidence 0.90

  All you need is Python (5d7gwfm5zu) extraction뀨 (7c402c1b98) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewmexicorea (qjvnbu8xg3) review
• Several loci influencing brain gene expression colocalize with loci influencing tameness.

  Confidence 0.90

  All you need is Python (5d7gwfm5zu) extraction뀨 (7c402c1b98) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewmexicorea (qjvnbu8xg3) review
• RNA sequencing in 150 F2 animals identified hundreds of loci that influence brain gene expression.

  Confidence 0.95

  All you need is Python (5d7gwfm5zu) extraction뀨 (7c402c1b98) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewmexicorea (qjvnbu8xg3) review
• A mapping approach accounting for segregating loci identified four times more loci influencing tameness and aggression than an approach assuming fixation.

  Confidence 0.95

  All you need is Python (5d7gwfm5zu) extraction뀨 (7c402c1b98) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewmexicorea (qjvnbu8xg3) review

• aggression

  phenotypes

  A behavioral phenotype involving hostile or violent actions towards humans.

  All you need is Python (5d7gwfm5zu) extraction뀨 (7c402c1b98) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewmexicorea (qjvnbu8xg3) review
• brain gene expression

  biological processes

  The abundance of RNA transcripts in brain tissue, reflecting the activity levels of genes.

  All you need is Python (5d7gwfm5zu) extraction뀨 (7c402c1b98) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewmexicorea (qjvnbu8xg3) review
• candidate genes

  genomic elements

  Genes hypothesized to be responsible for a specific phenotype based on association evidence.

  All you need is Python (5d7gwfm5zu) extraction뀨 (7c402c1b98) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewmexicorea (qjvnbu8xg3) review
• colocalization

  statistical concepts

  The statistical overlap of genetic associations for different traits at the same genomic location.

  All you need is Python (5d7gwfm5zu) extraction뀨 (7c402c1b98) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewmexicorea (qjvnbu8xg3) review
• f2 intercross

  populations

  A genetic population generated by crossing two distinct parental lines and interbreeding their offspring.

  Aliases: F2

  All you need is Python (5d7gwfm5zu) extraction뀨 (7c402c1b98) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewmexicorea (qjvnbu8xg3) review
• genetic loci

  genomic regions

  Specific regions of the genome associated with variation in a trait or gene expression level.

  All you need is Python (5d7gwfm5zu) extraction뀨 (7c402c1b98) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewmexicorea (qjvnbu8xg3) review
• rna sequencing

  measurement techniques

  A high-throughput technique used to profile and quantify RNA molecules in a sample.

  Aliases: RNA-seq

  All you need is Python (5d7gwfm5zu) extraction뀨 (7c402c1b98) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewmexicorea (qjvnbu8xg3) review
• tameness

  phenotypes

  A behavioral phenotype characterized by a lack of fear and hostility towards humans.

  All you need is Python (5d7gwfm5zu) extraction뀨 (7c402c1b98) reviewq (76h6bfydm6) reviewmexicorea (qjvnbu8xg3) review

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