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Molecular
Genetic Analysis of Serotonin Systems and Complex Behavioral
Traits
Serotonin systems regulate diverse central nervous system functions,
and impact the etiology and treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.
We examine the contributions of individual receptor subtypes to the serotonergic
regulation of behavior using transgenic procedures to generate mouse
strains bearing mutations of serotonin receptor genes. Insights into
the functional significance of receptors are gained by examining the
impact of such mutations on the behavioral repertoire of mutant strains.
Multidisciplinary approaches are pursued to determine neural mechanisms
that underlie selected phenotypic abnormalities.
Currently, we are examining perturbations of feeding, reward pathways,
fear/anxiety responses and exploratory behavior in several transgenic
strains developed within the laboratory. Transgenic strategies in our
laboratory include standard gene targeting and transgenic procedures,
as well as the generation of animals in which gene disruptions are achieved
in a tissue-specific and inducible manner. Neurobehavioral phenotyping
of such strains will shed light on how neurotransmitter systems regulate
complex behavioral traits, and how genetic variability in these systems
leads to heritable variability in these traits.
Selected Publications:
Tecott LH, Logue SF, Wehner JM and Kauer JA. Impaired dentate gyrus function
in mice lacking serotonin 5-HT2C receptors. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA,
95: 15026-150531, 1998.
Nonogaki K, Strack A, Dallman M and Tecott LH. Leptin-insensitive hyperphagia
and type 2 diabetes in mice with a mutated serotonin 5-HT2C receptor
gene. Nature Medicine 4: 1152-1156, 1998.
Heisler L, Chu HM, Brennan T, Danao J, Bajwa P, Parsons L, and Tecott
LH. Elevated anxiety and antidepressant-like responses in serotonin 5-HT1A
receptor mutant mice. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA,95: 15049-15054, 1998.
Contact Information:
Email: tecott@itsa.ucsf.edu
Phone: 415/476-7858
Address: Box 2822, MB 448 B
The University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, (415) 476-9000
Copyright 2003, The Regents of the University of California.
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