C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2) mice differ in behaviors related to substance abuse, including voluntary morphine consumption and preference in a two-bottle choice paradigm. Two major quantitative trait loci (QTL) for morphine consumption and preference exist between these strains on chromosomes (Chrs.) 6 and 10 when the two-bottle choice involves morphine in saccharin vs quinine in saccharin. Here, we report the refinement of the Chr. 10 QTL in subcongenic strains of D2.B6-Mop2 congenic mice described previously. With these subcongenic mouse strains, we have divided the introgressed region of Chr. 10 containing the QTL gene(s) into two segments, one between the acromere and Stxbp5 (in D2.B6-Mop2-P1 mice) and the other between marker D10Mit211 and marker D10Mit51 (in D2.B6-Mop2-D1 mice). We find that, similar to B6 mice, the D2.B6-Mop2-P1 congenic mice exhibit a strong preference for morphine over quinine, whereas D2.B6-Mop2-D1 congenic mice avoid morphine (similar to D2 mice). We have also created a line of double congenic mice, B6.D2-Mop2.Qui, which contains both Chr. 10 and Chr. 6 QTL. We find that they are intermediate in their morphine preference scores when compared with B6 and D2 animals. Overall, these data suggest that the gene(s) involved in morphine preference in the morphine-quinine two-bottle choice paradigm are contained within the proximal region of Chr. 10 (which harbors Oprm1) between the acromere and Stxbp5, as well as on distal Chr. 6 between marker D6Mit10 and the telomere.

Multiple quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping studies designed to localize seizure susceptibility genes in C57BL/6 (B6, seizure resistant) and DBA/2 (D2, seizure susceptible) mice have detected a significant effect originating from midchromosome 5. To confirm the presence and refine the position of the chromosome 5 QTL for maximal electroshock seizure threshold (MEST), reciprocal congenic strains between B6 and D2 mice were created by a DNA marker-assisted backcross breeding strategy and studied with respect to changes in MEST. A genomic interval delimited by marker D5Mit75 (proximal to the acromere) and D5Mit403 (distal to the acromere) was introgressed for 10 generations. A set of chromosome 5 congenic strains produced by an independent laboratory was also studied. Comparison of MEST between congenic and control (parental genetic background) mice indicates that genes influencing this trait were captured in all strains. Thus, mice from strains having D2 alleles from chromosome 5 on a B6 genetic background exhibit significantly lower MEST compared with control littermates, whereas congenic mice harboring B6 chromosome 5 alleles on a D2 genetic background exhibit significantly higher MEST compared with control littermates. Combining data from all congenic strains, we conclude that the gene(s) underlying the chromosome 5 QTL for MEST resides in the interval between D5Mit108 (26 cM) and D5Mit278 (61 cM). Generation of interval-specific congenic strains from the primary congenic strains described here may be used to achieve high-resolution mapping of the chromosome 5 gene(s) that contributes to the large difference in seizure susceptibility between B6 and D2 mice.

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