Mouse Molecular Genetic Technologies
Promise for Psychiatric Research
Laurence H. Tecott, MD, PhD;
Jeanne M. Wehner, PhD
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2001;58:995-1004.
Recent advances in mammalian genomics are providing unprecedented opportunities
to identify genes that influence neural systems relevant to psychiatric illnesses.
As a genetically tractable mammalian species in which complex behaviors may
be modeled, mice have been the focus of much attention for examining relationships
between genes and behavior. Many investigators are pursuing experimental strategies
in which the functions of known genes are examined by studying the impact
of their manipulation in mice. These studies are providing important information
regarding genetic influences on behavior, as well as animal models relevant
to human disease processes. Additional powerful genetic strategies have recently
been initiated to search broadly for genes that influence particular clinically
relevant behavioral traits. These approaches promise to uncover a large number
of novel genetic influences on neuronal pathways that regulate behavior. In
this review, mouse molecular genetic techniques are described and illustrative
examples of their application to neurobehavioral processes relevant to clinical
disorders are provided. Future directions in technology development that promise
to further enhance the utility of these approaches for translational research
are also described.
From the Department of Psychiatry and Center for Neurobiology and Psychiatry,
University of California, San Francisco (Dr Tecott); and Institute for Behavioral
Genetics, University of Colorado, Boulder (Dr Wehner).
Corresponding author and reprints: Laurence H. Tecott, MD, PhD, Department
of Psychiatry and Center for Neurobiology and Psychiatry, University of California,
401 Parnassus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94143-0984 (e-mail: tecott{at}itsa.ucsf.edu).
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