The transcriptome of a mouse model of aggression

• Grant number: 01/01637-5
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• Start date: October 01, 2001
• End date: September 30, 2006
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Psychiatry
• Principal Investigator: Silvana Chiavegatto
• Grantee: Silvana Chiavegatto
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Medicina (FM). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 01/09079-1 - The transcriptome of a mouse model of aggression, BP.JP

Abstract

Human aggression is clearly an important issue for our society. Through research over the past two decades, it has become clear that human aggression is not simply 'bad behavior' and that problematic impulsive aggression can be viewed as an identifiable behavioral disorder with genetic, biological, and treatment correlates. Aggression as complex behaviors probably depend on many genetic points, disruptions in any of these can lead to dysfunctional outcomes. The challenge then comes from the demands for high-throughput assays to investigate the global gene expression in order to identify the genes and gene products that work in concert to modulate the expression of the aggressive behavior. Neurobehavioral studies have advanced substantially through the use of mouse genetics. We therefore propose to apply gene expression profiling of multiple brain regions in groups of adult male mice that differ in their responsiveness to an intruder in their home cages (mouse model of aggression). We will use the new DNA microarray technology, which allows for the study of expression patterns of a large number of genes simultaneously within a brain area, as an efficient means of gaining critical insights to the expression, regulation, and function of genes involved in mammalian aggressive behavior for which information is currently scarce. (AU)