Publications by authors named "R A Ervin"
Article Synopsis
- * Research has primarily focused on Wfs1 knockout mice, which mimic many WFS1 symptoms, while studies on the Cisd2 gene's role in WFS2 have been limited.
- * The B6.DDY-Cisd2 mouse model was developed to explore Cisd2 mutations, revealing hypoactivity, heightened stress responses, and challenges in learning and memory, making it valuable for understanding WFS's neurological and psychiatric aspects.
Article Synopsis
- Parent-of-origin effects (POE), which come from maternal influences or genetic imprinting, can impact behaviors linked to psychiatric disorders, but their role in complex traits needs more research.
- This study used reciprocal F1 hybrids of mice to examine how different diets during the perinatal period affect behavior and the associated changes in gene expression related to POE.
- Results highlighted a set of 15 genes influenced by POE, with some behaviors showing significant effects from both diet and genetic factors, suggesting the need for more extensive studies on these interactions across various genetic backgrounds.
Previous studies in animal models and humans have shown that exposure to nutritional deficiencies in the perinatal period increases the risk of psychiatric disease. Less well understood is how such effects are modulated by the combination of genetic background and parent-of-origin (PO). To explore this, we exposed female mice from 20 Collaborative Cross (CC) strains to protein deficient, vitamin D deficient, methyl donor enriched or standard diet during the perinatal period.
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- * A study was conducted using a panel of 37 inbred mouse strains to investigate how genetic background and estrogen depletion (via ovariectomy) affect anxiety and depressive behaviors in rodents.
- * Results revealed that ovariectomy significantly influenced anxiety-like behavior depending on the genetic background of the mice, though no strain-specific effects were seen in depressive-like behavior during the forced swim test.
Initial locomotor sensitivity to cocaine varies widely among inbred mouse strains.
Genes Brain Behav
March 2015
Initial sensitivity to psychostimulants can predict subsequent use and abuse in humans. Acute locomotor activation in response to psychostimulants is commonly used as an animal model of initial drug sensitivity and has been shown to have a substantial genetic component. Identifying the specific genetic differences that lead to phenotypic differences in initial drug sensitivity can advance our understanding of the processes that lead to addiction.
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