Assessing the complex nature of behavior [Elektronische Ressource] : sequence-based and transcriptomic analyses in a mouse model of extremes in trait anxiety / vorgelegt von Ludwig Czibere

Assessing the complex nature of behavior: Sequence-based and transcriptomic analyses in a mouse model of extremes in trait anxiety Dissertation der Fakultät für Biologie der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München vorgelegt von Ludwig Czibere München, 30. September 2008 Erstgutachter: Prof. Dr. Rainer Landgraf Zweitgutachter: Prof. Dr. Thomas Cremer Datum der mündlichen Prüfung: 06. Mai 2009 “Nothing in biology makes sense, except in the light of evolution.” Theodosius Grygorovych Dobzhansky, 1973 Meinen lieben Eltern für ihre stetige Unterstützung Drága szüleimnek állandó támogatásukért Abstract Abstract To unravel the molecular pylons of innate anxiety, a well established animal model has been characterized using transcriptome- and sequence-based analyses. The animal model – hyper (HAB) and hypo (LAB) anxious mice – has been created by selective inbreeding based on outbred CD1 mice using the extreme values the mice spent on the open arm of the elevated plus-maze, a test also used to screen drugs for anxiolytic or anxiogenic effects. These mice proved a robust phenotypic divergence, also for depression-like behavior and stress-axis reactivity.