| First Author | Line SJ | Year | 2011 |
| Journal | Eur Neuropsychopharmacol | Volume | 21 |
| Issue | 1 | Pages | 108-16 |
| PubMed ID | 20863670 | Mgi Jnum | J:285704 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:6400024 | Doi | 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2010.08.005 |
| Citation | Line SJ, et al. (2011) Opposing alterations in anxiety and species-typical behaviours in serotonin transporter overexpressor and knockout mice. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 21(1):108-16 |
| abstractText | Human gene association studies have produced conflicting findings regarding the relationship between the 5-HT transporter (5-HTT) and anxiety. In the present study genetically modified mice were utilised to examine the effects of changes in 5-HTT expression on anxiety. In addition, the influence of 5-HTT expression on two innate "species-typical" behaviours (burrowing and marble burying) and body weight was explored. Across a range of models, 5-HTT overexpressing mice displayed reduced anxiety-like behaviour whilst 5-HTT knockout mice showed increased anxiety-like behaviour, compared to wildtype controls. In tests of species-typical behaviour 5-HTT overexpressing mice showed some facilitation whilst 5-HTT knockout mice were impaired. Reciprocal effects were also seen on body weight, as 5-HTT overexpressors were lighter and 5-HTT knockouts were heavier than wildtype controls. These findings show that variation in 5-HTT gene expression produces robust changes in anxiety and species-typical behaviour. Furthermore, the data add further support to findings that variation of 5-HTT expression in the human population is linked to changes in anxiety-related personality traits. |
