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Haselimashhadi H, Mason JC, Mallon AM, Smedley D, Meehan TF, Parkinson H. OpenStats: A robust and scalable software package for reproducible analysis of high-throughput phenotypic data. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0242933. [PMID: 33378393 PMCID: PMC7773254 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0242933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Reproducibility in the statistical analyses of data from high-throughput phenotyping screens requires a robust and reliable analysis foundation that allows modelling of different possible statistical scenarios. Regular challenges are scalability and extensibility of the analysis software. In this manuscript, we describe OpenStats, a freely available software package that addresses these challenges. We show the performance of the software in a high-throughput phenomic pipeline in the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC) and compare the agreement of the results with the most similar implementation in the literature. OpenStats has significant improvements in speed and scalability compared to existing software packages including a 13-fold improvement in computational time to the current production analysis pipeline in the IMPC. Reduced complexity also promotes FAIR data analysis by providing transparency and benefiting other groups in reproducing and re-usability of the statistical methods and results. OpenStats is freely available under a Creative Commons license at www.bioconductor.org/packages/OpenStats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamed Haselimashhadi
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy C. Mason
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ann-Marie Mallon
- MRC Harwell Institute, Harwell Campus, Oxfordshire, United kingdom
| | | | - Terrence F. Meehan
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Helen Parkinson
- European Molecular Biology Laboratory, European Bioinformatics Institute, Wellcome Genome Campus, Hinxton, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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2
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Freels TG, Lester DB, Cook MN. Arachidonoyl serotonin (AA-5-HT) modulates general fear-like behavior and inhibits mesolimbic dopamine release. Behav Brain Res 2019; 362:140-151. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2018] [Revised: 01/08/2019] [Accepted: 01/08/2019] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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3
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PhenStat: A Tool Kit for Standardized Analysis of High Throughput Phenotypic Data. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0131274. [PMID: 26147094 PMCID: PMC4493137 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The lack of reproducibility with animal phenotyping experiments is a growing concern among the biomedical community. One contributing factor is the inadequate description of statistical analysis methods that prevents researchers from replicating results even when the original data are provided. Here we present PhenStat – a freely available R package that provides a variety of statistical methods for the identification of phenotypic associations. The methods have been developed for high throughput phenotyping pipelines implemented across various experimental designs with an emphasis on managing temporal variation. PhenStat is targeted to two user groups: small-scale users who wish to interact and test data from large resources and large-scale users who require an automated statistical analysis pipeline. The software provides guidance to the user for selecting appropriate analysis methods based on the dataset and is designed to allow for additions and modifications as needed. The package was tested on mouse and rat data and is used by the International Mouse Phenotyping Consortium (IMPC). By providing raw data and the version of PhenStat used, resources like the IMPC give users the ability to replicate and explore results within their own computing environment.
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4
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Abstract
A significant challenge of in-vivo studies is the identification of phenotypes with a method that is robust and reliable. The challenge arises from practical issues that lead to experimental designs which are not ideal. Breeding issues, particularly in the presence of fertility or fecundity problems, frequently lead to data being collected in multiple batches. This problem is acute in high throughput phenotyping programs. In addition, in a high throughput environment operational issues lead to controls not being measured on the same day as knockouts. We highlight how application of traditional methods, such as a Student’s t-Test or a 2-way ANOVA, in these situations give flawed results and should not be used. We explore the use of mixed models using worked examples from Sanger Mouse Genome Project focusing on Dual-Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry data for the analysis of mouse knockout data and compare to a reference range approach. We show that mixed model analysis is more sensitive and less prone to artefacts allowing the discovery of subtle quantitative phenotypes essential for correlating a gene’s function to human disease. We demonstrate how a mixed model approach has the additional advantage of being able to include covariates, such as body weight, to separate effect of genotype from these covariates. This is a particular issue in knockout studies, where body weight is a common phenotype and will enhance the precision of assigning phenotypes and the subsequent selection of lines for secondary phenotyping. The use of mixed models with in-vivo studies has value not only in improving the quality and sensitivity of the data analysis but also ethically as a method suitable for small batches which reduces the breeding burden of a colony. This will reduce the use of animals, increase throughput, and decrease cost whilst improving the quality and depth of knowledge gained.
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Abstract
Emotional responses are triggered by environmental signals and involve profound changes at multiple levels, from molecular to behavior. Much has been learnt about two emotions, fear and anxiety, by studying mammalian models. In particular, neural circuits and the corresponding molecular mechanisms essential for the learning and retention of fear, as well as the activation of anxiety, are well known. In contrast, little is known about how these emotions are terminated. The zebrafish is a newcomer to the world of emotion research. A number of assays for fear and anxiety now exist, but the underlying neural circuitry is largely undefined. Recent experiments, however, appear to provide a hint as to how anxiety is downregulated. In particular, they point to an essential role for a circuit involving the posterior septum, medial habenula, and interpeduncular nucleus. This evolutionarily conserved circuit may fulfill a similar function in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suresh Jesuthasan
- Biomedical Sciences Institutes, Neuroscience Research Partnership, Singapore.
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6
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Abstract
Identifying genes involved in behavioural disorders in man is a challenge as the cause is often multigenic and the phenotype is modulated by environmental cues. Mouse mutants are a valuable tool for identifying novel pathways underlying specific neurological phenotypes and exploring the influence both genetic and non-genetic factors. Many human variants causing behavioural disorders are not gene deletions but changes in levels of expression or activity of a gene product; consequently, large-scale mouse ENU mutagenesis has the advantage over the study of null mutants in that it generates a range of point mutations that frequently mirror the subtlety and heterogeneity of human genetic lesions. ENU mutants have provided novel and clinically relevant functional information on genes that influence many aspects of mammalian behaviour, from neuropsychiatric endophenotypes to circadian rhythms. This review will highlight some of the most important findings that have been made using this method in several key areas of neurological disease research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter L Oliver
- MRC Functional Genomics Unit, Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PT, UK
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7
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Powell SB, Weber M, Geyer MA. Genetic models of sensorimotor gating: relevance to neuropsychiatric disorders. Curr Top Behav Neurosci 2012; 12:251-318. [PMID: 22367921 PMCID: PMC3357439 DOI: 10.1007/7854_2011_195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Sensorimotor gating, or the ability of a sensory event to suppress a motor response, can be measured operationally via prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the startle response. PPI is deficient in schizophrenia patients as well as other neuropsychiatric disorders, can be measured across species, and has been used widely as a translational tool in preclinical neuropharmacological and genetic research. First developed to assess drug effects in pharmacological and developmental models, PPI has become one of the standard behavioral measures in genetic models of schizophrenia and other neuropsychiatric disorders that exhibit PPI deficits. In this chapter we review the literature on genetic models of sensorimotor gating and discuss the utility of PPI as a tool in phenotyping mutant mouse models. We highlight the approaches to genetic mouse models of neuropsychiatric disease, discuss some of the important caveats to these approaches, and provide a comprehensive table covering the more recent genetic models that have evaluated PPI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan B. Powell
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, USA
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Martin Weber
- Department of Neuroscience, Genentech Inc, 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080-4990, USA
| | - Mark A. Geyer
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr, La Jolla, CA 92093-0804, USA
- Research Service, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, CA, USA
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8
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Sartori SB, Landgraf R, Singewald N. The clinical implications of mouse models of enhanced anxiety. FUTURE NEUROLOGY 2011; 6:531-571. [PMID: 21901080 PMCID: PMC3166843 DOI: 10.2217/fnl.11.34] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Mice are increasingly overtaking the rat model organism in important aspects of anxiety research, including drug development. However, translating the results obtained in mouse studies into information that can be applied in clinics remains challenging. One reason may be that most of the studies so far have used animals displaying 'normal' anxiety rather than 'psychopathological' animal models with abnormal (elevated) anxiety, which more closely reflect core features and sensitivities to therapeutic interventions of human anxiety disorders, and which would, thus, narrow the translational gap. Here, we discuss manipulations aimed at persistently enhancing anxiety-related behavior in the laboratory mouse using phenotypic selection, genetic techniques and/or environmental manipulations. It is hoped that such models with enhanced construct validity will provide improved ways of studying the neurobiology and treatment of pathological anxiety. Examples of findings from mouse models of enhanced anxiety-related behavior will be discussed, as well as their relation to findings in anxiety disorder patients regarding neuroanatomy, neurobiology, genetic involvement and epigenetic modifications. Finally, we highlight novel targets for potential anxiolytic pharmacotherapeutics that have been established with the help of research involving mice. Since the use of psychopathological mouse models is only just beginning to increase, it is still unclear as to the extent to which such approaches will enhance the success rate of drug development in translating identified therapeutic targets into clinical trials and, thus, helping to introduce the next anxiolytic class of drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone B Sartori
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy & Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Peter-Mayr-Street 1, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Rainer Landgraf
- Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Department of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Munich, Germany
| | - Nicolas Singewald
- Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, Institute of Pharmacy & Center for Molecular Biosciences Innsbruck (CMBI), University of Innsbruck, Peter-Mayr-Street 1, A-6020, Innsbruck, Austria
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9
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Philip VM, Duvvuru S, Gomero B, Ansah TA, Blaha CD, Cook MN, Hamre KM, Lariviere WR, Matthews DB, Mittleman G, Goldowitz D, Chesler EJ. High-throughput behavioral phenotyping in the expanded panel of BXD recombinant inbred strains. GENES, BRAIN, AND BEHAVIOR 2010; 9:129-59. [PMID: 19958391 PMCID: PMC2855868 DOI: 10.1111/j.1601-183x.2009.00540.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2008] [Revised: 08/14/2009] [Accepted: 09/09/2009] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Genetic reference populations, particularly the BXD recombinant inbred (BXD RI) strains derived from C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice, are a valuable resource for the discovery of the bio-molecular substrates and genetic drivers responsible for trait variation and covariation. This approach can be profitably applied in the analysis of susceptibility and mechanisms of drug and alcohol use disorders for which many predisposing behaviors may predict the occurrence and manifestation of increased preference for these substances. Many of these traits are modeled by common mouse behavioral assays, facilitating the detection of patterns and sources of genetic coregulation of predisposing phenotypes and substance consumption. Members of the Tennessee Mouse Genome Consortium (TMGC) have obtained phenotype data from over 250 measures related to multiple behavioral assays across several batteries: response to, and withdrawal from cocaine, 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine; "ecstasy" (MDMA), morphine and alcohol; novelty seeking; behavioral despair and related neurological phenomena; pain sensitivity; stress sensitivity; anxiety; hyperactivity and sleep/wake cycles. All traits have been measured in both sexes in approximately 70 strains of the recently expanded panel of BXD RI strains. Sex differences and heritability estimates were obtained for each trait, and a comparison of early (N = 32) and recent (N = 37) BXD RI lines was performed. Primary data are publicly available for heritability, sex difference and genetic analyses using the MouseTrack database, and are also available in GeneNetwork.org for quantitative trait locus (QTL) detection and genetic analysis of gene expression. Together with the results of related studies, these data form a public resource for integrative systems genetic analysis of neurobehavioral traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- V M Philip
- Systems Genetics Group, Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryOak Ridge TN
| | - S Duvvuru
- Systems Genetics Group, Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryOak Ridge TN
| | - B Gomero
- Systems Genetics Group, Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryOak Ridge TN
| | - T A Ansah
- Department of Neurobiology and Neurotoxicology, Meharry Medical CollegeNashville, TN
| | - C D Blaha
- Department of Psychology, The University of MemphisMemphis, TN
| | - M N Cook
- Department of Psychology, The University of MemphisMemphis, TN
| | - K M Hamre
- Departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science CenterMemphis, TN
| | - W R Lariviere
- Departments of Anesthesiology and Neurobiology, University of Pittsburgh School of MedicinePittsburgh, PA
| | - D B Matthews
- Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience, Baylor UniversityWaco, TX, USA
- Present address: Department of Psychology, Nanyang Technological UniversitySingapore
| | - G Mittleman
- Department of Psychology, The University of MemphisMemphis, TN
| | - D Goldowitz
- Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Department of Medical Genetics, University of British ColumbiaVancouver, BC, Canada
| | - E J Chesler
- Systems Genetics Group, Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National LaboratoryOak Ridge TN
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WADA Y, FURUSE T, YAMADA I, MASUYA H, KUSHIDA T, SHIBUKAWA Y, NAKAI Y, KOBAYASHI K, KANEDA H, GONDO Y, NODA T, SHIROISHI T, WAKANA S. ENU Mutagenesis Screening for Dominant Behavioral Mutations Based on Normal Control Data Obtained in Home-Cage Activity, Open-Field, and Passive Avoidance Tests. Exp Anim 2010; 59:495-510. [DOI: 10.1538/expanim.59.495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/31/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Yumiko WADA
- Technology and Development Team for Mouse Phenotype Analysis, Japan Mouse Clinic, RIKEN BioResource Center
- Department of Humanities, Kyusyu Lutheran College
| | - Tamio FURUSE
- Technology and Development Team for Mouse Phenotype Analysis, Japan Mouse Clinic, RIKEN BioResource Center
| | - Ikuko YAMADA
- Technology and Development Team for Mouse Phenotype Analysis, Japan Mouse Clinic, RIKEN BioResource Center
| | - Hiroshi MASUYA
- Technology and Development Unit for Knowledge Base of Mouse Phenotype, RIKEN BioResource Center
| | - Tomoko KUSHIDA
- Technology and Development Team for Mouse Phenotype Analysis, Japan Mouse Clinic, RIKEN BioResource Center
| | - Yoko SHIBUKAWA
- Technology and Development Team for Mouse Phenotype Analysis, Japan Mouse Clinic, RIKEN BioResource Center
| | - Yuji NAKAI
- Mutagenesis and Genomics Team, RIKEN BioResource Center
| | - Kimio KOBAYASHI
- Technology and Development Team for Mouse Phenotype Analysis, Japan Mouse Clinic, RIKEN BioResource Center
| | - Hideki KANEDA
- Technology and Development Team for Mouse Phenotype Analysis, Japan Mouse Clinic, RIKEN BioResource Center
| | - Yoichi GONDO
- Mutagenesis and Genomics Team, RIKEN BioResource Center
| | - Tetsuo NODA
- Team for Advanced Development and Evaluation of Human Disease Models, RIKEN BioResource Center
| | - Toshihiko SHIROISHI
- Mammalian Genetics Laboratory, Genetic Strains Research Center, National Institute of Genetics
| | - Shigeharu WAKANA
- Technology and Development Team for Mouse Phenotype Analysis, Japan Mouse Clinic, RIKEN BioResource Center
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11
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Kim JC, Cook MN, Carey MR, Shen C, Regehr WG, Dymecki SM. Linking genetically defined neurons to behavior through a broadly applicable silencing allele. Neuron 2009; 63:305-15. [PMID: 19679071 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2009.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2008] [Revised: 06/19/2009] [Accepted: 07/13/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Tools for suppressing synaptic transmission gain power when able to target highly selective neuron subtypes, thereby sharpening attainable links between neuron type, behavior, and disease; and when able to silence most any neuron subtype, thereby offering broad applicability. Here, we present such a tool, RC::PFtox, that harnesses breadth in scope along with high cell-type selection via combinatorial gene expression to deliver tetanus toxin light chain (tox), an inhibitor of vesicular neurotransmission. When applied in mice, we observed cell-type-specific disruption of vesicle exocytosis accompanied by loss of excitatory postsynaptic currents and commensurately perturbed behaviors. Among various test populations, we applied RC::PFtox to silence serotonergic neurons, en masse or a subset defined combinatorially. Of the behavioral phenotypes observed upon en masse serotonergic silencing, only one mapped to the combinatorially defined subset. These findings provide evidence for separability by genetic lineage of serotonin-modulated behaviors; collectively, these findings demonstrate broad utility of RC::PFtox for dissecting neuron functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Chul Kim
- Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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12
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Abstract
Interindividual variability in pain sensitivity and the response to analgesic manipulations remains a considerable clinical challenge as well as an area of intense scientific investigation. Techniques in this field have matured rapidly so that much relevant data have emerged only in the past few years. Our increasing understanding of the genetic mediation of these biological phenomena have nonetheless revealed their surprising complexity. This review provides a comprehensive picture and critical analysis of the field and its prospects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael L Lacroix-Fralish
- Department of Psychology and Center for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montréal, Quebec, H3A1B1 Canada
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13
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van der Staay FJ, Arndt SS, Nordquist RE. Evaluation of animal models of neurobehavioral disorders. BEHAVIORAL AND BRAIN FUNCTIONS : BBF 2009; 5:11. [PMID: 19243583 PMCID: PMC2669803 DOI: 10.1186/1744-9081-5-11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 156] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2008] [Accepted: 02/25/2009] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Animal models play a central role in all areas of biomedical research. The process of animal model building, development and evaluation has rarely been addressed systematically, despite the long history of using animal models in the investigation of neuropsychiatric disorders and behavioral dysfunctions. An iterative, multi-stage trajectory for developing animal models and assessing their quality is proposed. The process starts with defining the purpose(s) of the model, preferentially based on hypotheses about brain-behavior relationships. Then, the model is developed and tested. The evaluation of the model takes scientific and ethical criteria into consideration.Model development requires a multidisciplinary approach. Preclinical and clinical experts should establish a set of scientific criteria, which a model must meet. The scientific evaluation consists of assessing the replicability/reliability, predictive, construct and external validity/generalizability, and relevance of the model. We emphasize the role of (systematic and extended) replications in the course of the validation process. One may apply a multiple-tiered 'replication battery' to estimate the reliability/replicability, validity, and generalizability of result.Compromised welfare is inherent in many deficiency models in animals. Unfortunately, 'animal welfare' is a vaguely defined concept, making it difficult to establish exact evaluation criteria. Weighing the animal's welfare and considerations as to whether action is indicated to reduce the discomfort must accompany the scientific evaluation at any stage of the model building and evaluation process. Animal model building should be discontinued if the model does not meet the preset scientific criteria, or when animal welfare is severely compromised. The application of the evaluation procedure is exemplified using the rat with neonatal hippocampal lesion as a proposed model of schizophrenia.In a manner congruent to that for improving animal models, guided by the procedure expounded upon in this paper, the developmental and evaluation procedure itself may be improved by careful definition of the purpose(s) of a model and by defining better evaluation criteria, based on the proposed use of the model.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Josef van der Staay
- Program 'Emotion and Cognition', Department of Farm Animal Health, Veterinary Faculty, Utrecht University, PO Box 80166, 3508 TD Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Saskia S Arndt
- Division of Laboratory Animal Science, Department of Animals, Science and Society, Veterinary Faculty, Utrecht University, the Netherlands
| | - Rebecca E Nordquist
- Program 'Emotion and Cognition', Department of Farm Animal Health, Veterinary Faculty, Utrecht University, PO Box 80166, 3508 TD Utrecht, the Netherlands
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Hitzemann R, Malmanger B, Belknap J, Darakjian P, McWeeney S. Short-term selective breeding for high and low prepulse inhibition of the acoustic startle response; pharmacological characterization and QTL mapping in the selected lines. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2008; 90:525-33. [PMID: 18513787 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2008.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2007] [Revised: 04/01/2008] [Accepted: 04/09/2008] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Selective breeding offers several important advantages over using inbred strain panels in detecting genetically correlated traits to the selection phenotype. The purpose of the current study was to selectively breed for prepulse inhibition (PPI) of the acoustic startle response (ASR), to pharmacologically and behaviorally characterize the selected lines and to use the lines for quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping. Starting with heterogeneous stock mice formed by crossing the C57BL/6J, DBA/2J, BALB/cJ and LP/J inbred strains and using a short-term selective breeding strategy, animals were selected for High and Low PPI. The selection phenotype was the 80 dB prepulse tone (15 dB above the background noise). After five generations of selection, the High and Low lines differed significantly (78.1 +/- 3.1 vs. 45.2 +/- 3.9 [percent inhibition], p < 0.00001). The effects of haloperidol and MK-801 on PPI were not different between the High and Low lines. However, at the highest dose tested (10 mg/kg), the High line was more sensitive than the Low line to the disruptive PPI effects of methamphetamine. The lines did not differ in terms of basal activity or methamphetamine-induced changes in locomotor activity. The High and Low lines were genotyped using a panel of 768 SNPs. Significant QTLs (LOD > 10) were detected on chromosomes 11 and 16 that appeared similar to those detected previously [Hitzemann, R., Bell, J., Rasmussen, E., McCaughran, J. Mapping the genes for the acoustic startle response (ASR) and prepulse inhibition of the ASR in the BXD recombinant inbred series: effect of high-frequency hearing loss and cochlear pathology. In: Willott JF, editor. Handbook of mouse auditory research: From behavior to molecular biology. New York: CRC Press; 2001, p. 441-455.; Petryshen, T. L, Kirby, A., Hammer, R.P. Jr, Purcell, S., O'Leary, S.B., Singer, J.B., et al. Two quantitative trait loci for prepulse inhibition of startle identified on mouse chromosome 16 using chromosome substitution strains. Genetics 2005; 171: 1895-1904.]. Overall, the current study illustrates that the heritability of PPI is sufficient for shortterm selective breeding and that the lines which are developed can be used to characterize the factors associated with the regulation of PPI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Hitzemann
- Department of Behavioral Neuroscience. Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR 97239-3098, USA.
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15
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Svenson KL, Ahituv N, Durgin RS, Savage H, Magnani PA, Foreman O, Paigen B, Peters LL. A new mouse mutant for the LDL receptor identified using ENU mutagenesis. J Lipid Res 2008; 49:2452-62. [PMID: 18632552 DOI: 10.1194/jlr.m800303-jlr200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In an effort to discover new mouse models of cardiovascular disease using N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutagenesis followed by high-throughput phenotyping, we have identified a new mouse mutation, C699Y, in the LDL receptor (Ldlr), named wicked high cholesterol (WHC). When WHC was compared with the widely used Ldlr knockout (KO) mouse, notable phenotypic differences between strains were observed, such as accelerated atherosclerotic lesion formation and reduced hepatosteatosis in the ENU mutant after a short exposure to an atherogenic diet. This loss-of-function mouse model carries a single base mutation in the Ldlr gene on an otherwise pure C57BL/6J (B6) genetic background, making it a useful new tool for understanding the pathophysiology of atherosclerosis and for evaluating additional genetic modifiers regulating hyperlipidemia and atherogenesis. Further investigation of genomic differences between the ENU mutant and KO strains may reveal previously unappreciated sequence functionality.
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A high through-put reverse genetic screen identifies two genes involved in remote memory in mice. PLoS One 2008; 3:e2121. [PMID: 18464936 PMCID: PMC2373872 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0002121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2007] [Accepted: 03/10/2008] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Previous studies have revealed that the initial stages of memory formation require several genes involved in synaptic, transcriptional and translational mechanisms. In contrast, very little is known about the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying later stages of memory, including remote memory (i.e. 7-day memory). To identify genes required for remote memory, we screened randomly selected mouse strains harboring known mutations. In our primary reverse genetic screen, we identified 4 putative remote memory mutant strains out of a total of 54 lines analyzed. Additionally, we found 11 other mutant strains with other abnormal profiles. Secondary screens confirmed that mutations of integrin β2 (Itgβ2) and steryl-O-acyl transferase 1 (Soat1) specifically disrupted remote memory. This study identifies some of the first genes required for remote memory, and suggests that screens of targeted mutants may be an efficient strategy to identify molecular requirements for this process.
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17
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From ENU mutagenesis to population genetics. Mamm Genome 2008; 19:221-5. [PMID: 18365275 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-008-9104-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2008] [Accepted: 02/17/2008] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
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