Gene expression profiling of high (HAB) vs. low (LAB) anxiety-related behavior mice in seven brain regions.. Mus musculus

Investigating the molecular basis and correlates of anxiety-related and depression-like behaviors, we generated a mouse model consisting of high (HAB) and low (LAB) anxiety-related behavior mice. We utilized the elevated plus-maze for testing the genetic predisposition to anxiety-related behavior and, consequently, used this as selection criterion for the inbreeding of our animals. In depression-related tests, HAB mice display a more passive, depression-like coping strategy than LAB mice, resembling clinical comorbidity of anxiety and depression as observed in psychiatric patients. Using a microarray approach, the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVN), the basolateral/lateral (BLA), the medial (MeA) and central amygdala (CeA), the nucleus accumbens (NAc), the cingulate cortex (Cg) and the supraoptic nucleus (SON) – centers of the central nervous anxiety and fear circuitries – were investigated and screened for differences between HAB and LAB mice. Overall design: Analysis was performed from six animals per line (HAB and LAB, respectively) pooled per brain region in ten technical replicates, thereof five with a dye-swapped design giving a total of 70 array slides analyzed. The LAB mouse line is referred to as reference.