The Journal of Neuroscience, June 1, 2003, 23(11):4491-4498
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Selective Breeding, Quantitative Trait Locus Analysis, and Gene Arrays Identify Candidate Genes for Complex Drug-Related Behaviors
Boris Tabakoff,
Sanjiv V. Bhave, and
Paula L. Hoffman
Department of Pharmacology, University of Colorado Health Sciences
Center, Denver, Colorado 80262
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Abstract
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Acute functional tolerance to ethanol develops during a single exposure to
ethanol; it has been suggested to be a predisposing factor for the development
of ethanol dependence. Genetic determinants of acute functional tolerance, as
well as of ethanol dependence, have been clearly demonstrated. We describe a
novel approach that uses a combination of selective breeding (to segregate
genes contributing to the phenotype of interest, i.e., acute functional
tolerance to the incoordinating effect of ethanol), quantitative trait locus
analysis (to define chromosomal regions associated with acute functional
tolerance), and DNA microarray technology (to identify differentially
expressed genes in the brains of the selected lines of mice) to identify
candidate genes for the complex phenotype of ethanol tolerance. The results
indicate the importance of a signal transduction cascade that involves the
glutamate receptor
2 protein, the Ephrin B3 ligand, and the NMDA
receptor, as well as a transcriptional regulatory protein that may be induced
by activation of the NMDA receptor (zinc finger protein 179) and a protein
that can modulate downstream responses to NMDA receptor activation
(peroxiredoxin), in mediating acute tolerance to the incoordinating effect of
ethanol.
Key words: QTL analysis; DNA microarrays; selective breeding; acute functional ethanol tolerance; candidate genes; mice
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Introduction
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Tolerance to beverage alcohol (ethanol) is an important component of the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) and
International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) diagnoses of
alcohol dependence (World Health
Organization, 1993
; American
Psychiatric Association, 1994
). Tolerance that develops during a
single exposure to alcohol is defined as acute functional tolerance (AFT), or
within-session tolerance, and has been considered a predisposing element for
alcohol dependence (Newlin and Thomson,
1990
). A genetic component to AFT to alcohol has clearly been
demonstrated by the bidirectional selective breeding of lines of mice to
display high acute functional tolerance (HAFT mice) and low acute functional
tolerance (LAFT mice) to the incoordinating effect of ethanol
(Erwin and Deitrich, 1996
).
The technique of selective breeding enhances the representation (frequency) of
genetic material associated with a particular trait, which shifts the animal's
phenotype from the population mean
(Falconer and Mackay, 1996
).
Therefore, the expectation is that HAFT mice have more genetic material that
promotes the higher level of AFT, whereas the LAFT animals accumulate less of
this genetic material and/or more genetic material leading to lower AFT
(Falconer and Mackay,
1996
).
The chromosomal location of particular genes that may influence AFT to
ethanol has been investigated recently with quantitative trait locus (QTL)
analysis (Kirstein et al.,
2002
). This technique is a statistical analysis of the association
between a complex phenotype (i.e., the degree of acute tolerance expressed in
individual animals) and the occurrence of specific marker alleles in the
animal's genome (Crabbe et al.,
1999
). However, QTL analysis does not identify the critical gene
or genes within relatively large chromosomal regions defined by the QTL. The
genetic difference underlying the QTL could be a polymorphism in the coding
region of the gene, leading to a difference in the functional activity of the
gene product, a polymorphism that could alter the level of transcript produced
or the stability of the transcript, or all of these factors.
In the present study, we have used DNA microarray analysis to identify
genes that are differentially expressed in the brains of HAFT and LAFT mice.
These gene expression experiments would be expected to provide an indication
of the genetic elements that contribute to the phenotypic differences between
the selected lines through the level of transcript being produced. However,
without additional information, it is difficult or impossible to ascribe a
definitive role to any particular differentially expressed gene in
contributing to AFT (Crabbe et al.,
1990
; Falconer and Mackay,
1996
). On the other hand, if the differentially expressed genes in
selectively bred animals are located within a QTL for the same phenotypic
trait for which the animals are bred, more confidence can be allotted to the
possibility that a differentially expressed gene is a predisposing factor for
the expression of the selected phenotype. Therefore, we also mapped the genes
that were differentially expressed in the brains of HAFT and LAFT mice to the
identified QTL regions for AFT, resulting in a set of genes that may be
considered to contribute to this trait. We gained significant power in this
analysis from the availability of replicate selected mouse lines for AFT
(Crabbe et al., 1999
).
There have been a limited number of other reports that have combined DNA
microarray analysis with QTL results to assess genes that contribute to
allergen-induced airway hyperresponsiveness
(Karp et al., 2000
),
hypertension (Aitman et al.,
1999
), or diabetes (Eaves et
al., 2002
). However, the present study is the first to examine the
genetic underpinning of a behavioral phenotype using a combination of
selective breeding, QTL analysis, and gene expression analysis.
 |
Materials and Methods
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Mice
Replicate selected lines of HAFT and LAFT mice (HAFT-1/LAFT-1,
HAFT-2/LAFT-2) were generated as described previously
(Erwin and Deitrich, 1996
) and
were obtained from the Institute for Behavioral Genetics, Boulder, CO. Male
mice,
10 weeks old, were used for these experiments.
Measurement of AFT to ethanol
The measurement of AFT to ethanol was performed in mice of generation 22 of
the HAFT-1, LAFT-1 selection and generation 20 of the replicate HAFT-2, LAFT-2
selection as described previously (Erwin
and Deitrich, 1996
; Kirstein
et al., 2002
). Mice were trained to balance on a stationary dowel
and were then given an injection of 1.75 gm/kg of ethanol, i.p. At the time
that a mouse lost balance on the dowel a retroorbital sinus blood sample was
obtained for measurement of the blood ethanol concentration (BEC0). A second
blood sample was obtained when the mouse regained balance on the dowel (BEC1).
At this time, a second ethanol injection was given (2.0 gm/kg, i.p.); a third
blood sample was taken when the mouse again regained balance on the dowel
(BEC2). Blood ethanol concentrations were determined by gas chromatography,
and the difference between BEC2 and BEC1 was the measure of AFT. In the QTL
analysis (Kirstein et al.,
2002
), AFT and BEC2 were found to be significantly and positively
genetically correlated (r = 0.78) measures, whereas AFT and BEC1
(r = 0.23) were not significantly genetically correlated.
The QTLs reported by Kirstein et al.
(2002
) are considered to be
provisional. There were eight total QTLs reported for AFT and/or BEC2, of
which three attained p < 0.002 or better ("suggestive"
by the criteria of Lander and Kruglyak,
1995
). At the p < 0.002 level or better, on average,
there would be one false positive expected in a total genome scan (1 of 3, or
33%, false positives). The other five QTLs reported for AFT and/or BEC2 ranged
from p < 0.004 to p < 0.009
(Kirstein et al., 2002
). These
QTLs can be considered more likely to be true than false positives, although
the expected false positive rate would be higher than 33% (i.e., between 33
and 50%) (Belknap et al., 1996
;
John Belknap, Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR, personal
communication). Our six definitively identified genes are localized within two
QTLs attaining p < 0.002 or better, and within two QTLs at the
level of p < 0.006.
To confirm line identification, HAFT and LAFT mice were genotyped using a
panel of microsatellite markers (Prism Mouse Mapping Primers version 1.0;
Applied Biosystems International, Foster City, CA). Tail (2550 mg
tissue) DNA was isolated using the DNeasy kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA), and
genotyping was performed using the Applied Biosystems International Prism 7000
Sequence Detection System.
Gene expression analysis
Total RNA extraction. Naive HAFT and LAFT mice were killed by
CO2 exposure, and whole brains were removed and frozen on dry ice.
Brains were stored at -70°C until used. Total RNA was extracted from whole
brains using the TRIzol reagent (Invitrogen, Carlsbad, CA). An additional
clean-up of total RNA was performed using the RNeasy kit (Qiagen).
cRNA preparation for GeneChip expression analysis. Affymetrix
Gene-Chip oligonucleotide arrays (MGU74A arrays versions 1.0 and 2.0;
Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA) were used in these experiments. The mask file
provided by Affymetrix (Mg_U74a.msk) was used to mask defective probe sets on
the MGU74A version 1 array. Using the protocol supplied by the manufacturer,
double-stranded cDNA was synthesized from total RNA and was used to obtain
biotin-labeled cRNA by an in vitro transcription reaction.
Biotin-labeled cRNA was fragmented and hybridized with the GeneChip Arrays,
according to the manufacturer's protocol, after verifying the quality of the
biotin-labeled cRNA on a TestChip. The array was stained with
streptavidinphycoerythrin conjugate and scanned by an Affymetrix
GeneArray scanner. RNA from five individual HAFT-1, five LAFT-1, four HAFT-2,
and four LAFT-2 mice was individually hybridized to 18 microarrays. RNA from
HAFT-1 and LAFT-1 mice was hybridized to the MGU74A version 1 array, and RNA
from HAFT-2 and LAFT-2 mice was hybridized to the MGU74A version 2 arrays. We
later determined that transcripts present on one version of the array, but
either not present or masked on the other, were not localized within the
relevant QTL regions.
Data analysis. The image data obtained from the Affymetrix
GeneChip arrays were initially analyzed with two different programs provided
by Affymetrix. With each program, a background value is subtracted and a noise
correction is applied. A global scaling procedure was used for chip-to-chip
normalization. Microarray Suite (MAS) version 4.0 then uses an empirical
algorithm to determine "present" and "absent" calls
and fluorescence intensity levels (average difference values), whereas MAS
version 5.0 uses a statistical algorithm to determine the presence or absence
and "signal" intensity
(Affymetrix 2001
). MAS version
5.0 includes a detection algorithm that uses probe pair (perfect
match/mismatch) intensities to generate a detection p value that is
used to determine whether a transcript is present or absent. For our analysis,
the default threshold for a present call was used. Although MAS version 4.0
analysis can result in negative average difference calls (meaning that
hybridization to mismatch probes is higher than hybridization to perfect match
probes), the algorithm used for MAS version 5.0 eliminates this phenomenon.
Because of the different algorithms used by MAS version 4.0 and MAS version
5.0, different numbers of transcripts can be called present or absent by the
two programs. Gene lists can be found in the supplementary information posted
at
http://www2.uchsc.edu/pharm/faculty/tabakoff/suppl.asp.
In each case, transcripts that were present on all microarrays in a given
experiment (e.g., all five HAFT-1 and all five LAFT-1), or were present on all
chips from one line (e.g., HAFT-1) and absent/marginal/present on all chips in
the other line (e.g., LAFT-1) were subjected to additional analysis to
determine differential expression. Average difference or signal values were
subjected to log transformation (negative average difference values in MAS
version 4.0 were assigned a value of 1), and two types of statistical analysis
were performed to identify genes that were differentially expressed between
HAFT and LAFT mice. The first is similar to that described by Eaves et al.
(2002
). Differences in gene
expression were assessed by calculating t statistics for each
measurement. A filter was then applied that required a minimum threshold value
for t. Those thresholds were estimated based on t values for
genes with positive values for t in one replicate group (e.g., HAFT-1
vs LAFT-1) and negative values for t in the other replicate group
(HAFT-2 vs LAFT-2). That is, transcripts that were upregulated in one
replicate group and downregulated in the other replicate group were used to
establish the control distribution of t values for each replicate
set, independently of any "real" changes. We then required that
the value of t for each comparison exceed a given percentile for this
control distribution (Table 1).
At each percentile level for the control distribution, the expected number of
false positives could be calculated: (1 - percentile)[error rate experiment 1]
x (1 - percentile)[error rate experiment 2] x (number of genes)
x 2[each direction] = number of expected false positives per array-wide
comparison (Eaves et al.,
2002
). This method was chosen because it allowed optimal use of
the whole dataset derived from the replicate selected lines of mice, and
should be generally applicable to studies in which such replicate lines are
available.
The second statistical analysis used was a permutation procedure, in which
the group identities of the samples are randomly permuted, and t
values are calculated using the new sample groupings
(Dudoit et al., 2000
). Using
100 separate permutations of sample group identities, a control distribution
for each replicate line was established from the 100 x 4305 (MAS version
4.0) or 100 x 3989 (MAS version 5.0) individual t values. These
control distributions were then used to determine thresholds at varying
percentiles to filter the genes whose expression level changes exceeded that
threshold. At each percentile, the threshold value used was the higher of the
two values obtained (i.e., one from HAFT-1/LAFT-1, one from HAFT-2/LAFT-2
data). The method of Eaves et al.
(2002
) was used to calculate
the number of expected false positives. Lists of differentially-expressed
genes (same direction in both replicate lines) identified by these two methods
can be found in supplementary information at
http://www2.uchsc.edu/pharm/faculty/tabakoff.suppl.asp.
Analysis of chromosomal localization and overlapping QTLs
The determination of chromosomal localization of differentially expressed
known genes and comparison with the location of QTLs for AFT were performed
using software developed by the Center for Computational Pharmacology at the
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center (this software is available at
http://inia.uchsc.edu).
This software integrates the Affymetrix data, QTL data, and data from the The
Jackson Laboratory (Bar Harbor, ME) Mouse Genome Information database. To
determine the chromosomal localization of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) (DNA
sequences) on the arrays, as well as sequence homology to known genes, and
gene function, the batch query tool available at Net-Affx Analysis Center
(provided by Affymetrix, Inc.;
www.affymetrix.com/analysis/index.affx)
was used. If the information on the ESTs was not available from NetAffx,
manual mapping was carried out, where possible, using LocusLink
(www.ncibi.nlm.nih.gov/locuslink/)
and the Mouse Genome Informatics database from The Jackson Laboratory
(www.informatics.jax.org/).
Once chromosomal localization of the ESTs was determined, it was manually
compared with the QTLs for AFT.
After the identification of differentially expressed, QTL-localized
transcripts through this analysis, the overall significance of the
differential expression of these transcripts in HAFT-1 versus LAFT-1 and
HAFT-2 versus LAFT-2 mice was determined with a two-way ANOVA [effect of line
(HAFT vs LAFT) and effect of group (HAFT-1, LAFT-1, HAFT-2, LAFT-2)]. For this
analysis, the raw data for the identified transcripts derived using MAS
version 4.0 and MAS version 5.0 were used (see legend to
Table 1).
Quantitative real-time PCR
Quantitative real-time PCR was performed using the Applied Biosystems
International Prism 7700 Sequence Detection System. Sequence-specific TaqMan
probes and primer sets, designed using Applied Biosystems International Prism
7700 sequence detection software (Primer Express; Applied Biosystems
International), were used to carry out quantitative real-time PCR. Probe and
primer sequences are: for NR1, forward primer:
5'-GGTGGCCGTGATGCTGTAC-3'; reverse primer,
5'-TCGCTGTTCACCTTAAATCGG-3'; probe:
5'-TGCTGGACCGCTTCAGTCCCTTTG-3'; for zinc finger protein 179,
forward primer: 5'-CTGCACTGCAGAAGACCTGTG-3'; reverse primer:
5'-TCCGGAGGCATTGATTCGTA-3'; probe:
5'-TGTGAGGGCAGAACGTCTGCTGTTG-3'. The TaqMan probes were purchased
from PerkinElmer Life Sciences (Boston, MA) 5'-labeled with
6-carboxyfluorescein and 3'-labeled with 6-carboxytetramethylrhodamine.
Thermal cycling conditions were as follows: reverse transcription was
performed at 48°C for 30 min, followed by the activation of AmpliTaq Gold
at 95°C for 10 min. Subsequently, 40 cycles of amplification were
performed at 95°C for 15 sec and 60°C for 1 min.
The fluorescence data were expressed as normalized reporter signal (Rn) or
Rn. Rn was calculated by dividing the amount of reporter signal by the
amount of passive reference signal.
Rn represents the amount of
normalized reporter signal minus the amount of reporter signal before PCR. The
detection threshold was set above the mean baseline fluorescence determined
from the first 15 cycles. Amplification reactions in which the fluorescence
intensity increased above the threshold were defined as positive. A standard
curve for each template was generated using a serial dilution of the template
(total RNA). Quantities of template in test samples were normalized to the
corresponding 18S rRNA.
Determination of transcription factor binding consensus sequences in
differentially expressed genes
Dr. Razvan Lapadat, from the Center for Computational Pharmacology,
University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, used information available from
both the public domain and private databases to identify the transcription
factor consensus binding sequence: (1) GenBank sequences, (2) LocusLink and
RefSeq annotated entries, (3) UniGene clusters grouping all DNA and protein
sequences belonging to one gene, and (4) Celera Genomics data (when no
available genomic information was found in the public databases). This
information was used to extract the 5'-UTR sequence information for the
analysis process. The transcription factor binding prediction is done using
the TRANSFAC version 5.4 matrices
(www.biobase.de).
This database currently contains 487 binding matrices across all species.
Composite regulatory element analysis was done using TransCompel version 3.0
(online version).
The 5'-UTR region was obtained by extracting the sequence data from
the mouse section of the Celera Genomics database using the RefSeq
identifiers. The start codons were found by using the GenBank RefSeq sequence
information about the codon start position and generating 12-mer splice tags
that were matched against the genomic sequence. The 1 and 2 kb upstream
sequences were retrieved and a matrix-based similarity search against the
TRANSFAC matrices was performed using the pattern search for transcription
factor binding sites (PATCH) program. The core and overall matrix similarity
score cutoffs were set at 0.9. The upstream sequences were searched against
the TransCompel database using a maximum mismatch of 1 base pair, 30% maximum
distance variation compared with the original composite element (CE) binding
sites, and a minimum composite score of 0.3. The composite score is calculated
as follows: composite score = 2 x
10-m1 + 2 x
10-m2 +
[(10-g)/5], where m1 and m2 =
number of mismatched nucleotides in promoter cores 1 and 2 and g =
(distance between sites in the known CE) - (distance in the found potential
CE). Results shown are from the 2 kb upstream sequence search.
Comparison of mouse and human QTLs
Humanmouse chromosome homology maps (available at the National
Center for Biotechnology Information website:
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/Homology/)
were searched to obtain the syntenic regions of the human genome corresponding
to the mouse AFT/BEC2 QTLs. These syntenic regions of the human genome were
then manually aligned with the QTLs for low alcohol response in humans
(Schuckit et al., 2001
). This
procedure allows estimation of the overlap of the human QTL regions with the
mouse QTLs for AFT/BEC2 in which we identified differentially expressed
genes.
 |
Results
|
|---|
AFT measures
As shown in Figure 1, HAFT
mice of both replicate lines used for these experiments displayed greater AFT
to the incoordinating effect of ethanol than their LAFT counterparts. HAFT
mice also displayed higher levels of BEC2 than LAFT mice (see Materials and
Methods).
Gene expression differences in HAFT and LAFT mice
The procedure described by Eaves et al.
(2002
) was initially used to
identify differentially expressed transcripts. This method ("t
test noise distribution"; see Materials and Methods and
Table 1) takes advantage of the
availability of the replicate lines of HAFT and LAFT mice, assuming that the
replicate lines will display similar differences in expression of genes that
are associated with AFT (Crabbe et al.,
1990
,
1999
). Data from the Affymetrix
arrays were analyzed using MAS version 4.0 or MAS version 5.0, and the total
number of transcripts that were analyzed, the number of genes and ESTs found
to show statistically significant differences between lines at each threshold,
as well as the expected percentage of false positives are shown in
Table 1. Only genes/ESTs that
displayed the same direction of differential expression in both replicate
lines were considered. We chose to use a threshold of the 80th percentile for
this array-wide comparison; i.e., we required that the value of t in
each comparison exceeded the 80th percentile of the control distribution. This
threshold provides high sensitivity and therefore avoids exclusion of genes
that warrant additional investigation (false negatives), at the expense of
specificity.
Table 1 also shows the
results of the permutation analysis, which has been suggested as a method for
adjusting p values obtained with multiple comparisons
(Dudoit et al., 2000
). This
analysis was also performed on data obtained using MAS version 4.0 or MAS
version 5.0. Again, only genes with the same direction of differential
expression in both replicate lines of mice were considered further. In this
analysis, a significance threshold was again chosen at the 80th percentile to
avoid exclusion of possibly important genes.
It has been reported previously
(Hoffmann et al., 2002
) that
the procedure used to normalize microarray data has a greater influence on the
detection of differentially expressed genes than the statistical method used
to determine differences. To determine the influence of our initial data
analysis (MAS version 4.0 vs MAS version 5.0), as compared with the
statistical method used for setting thresholds for differential expression
(t test noise distribution vs permutation), we compared the number of
common differentially expressed transcripts detected when each single
statistical method was used to analyze MAS version 4.0 and MAS version 5.0
data, or when both statistical methods were used to analyze the same data
(i.e., derived from MAS version 4.0 or MAS version 5.0). As shown in
Figure 2, the initial
normalization/selection method (MAS version 4.0 or MAS version 5.0) had a
greater influence on the number of common differentially expressed transcripts
that were detected than the statistical method used. That is, there were fewer
common genes (i.e., 169, 177) when the two normalization/selection methods
were compared versus the number of common genes (i.e., 305, 332) that were
evident when data obtained with a particular normalization/selection method
were analyzed by two different statistical methods. This result supports the
previous finding of the influence of the normalization procedure on the
detection of differentially expressed genes
(Hoffmann et al., 2002
) and
emphasizes the necessity either to use the same normalization procedure for
all arrays in an experiment or to use more than one normalization/selection
method to detect transcripts that are found by all methods, and thus display
the most robust changes.

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Figure 2. Effect of analysis procedures on detection of differentially expressed
transcripts. The number of differentially expressed transcripts (differential
expression in the same direction in both replicate lines) determined by the
two statistical procedures (t test noise distribution or permutation,
using the 80th percentile cutoff) when data are initially analyzed using MAS
version 4.0 or MAS version 5.0, are indicated at the corners of the square.
The common differentially expressed transcripts are indicated by the boxed
numbers adjacent to the connecting lines. For example, when data analyzed
initially with MAS version 4.0 were subjected to statistical analysis by the
t test noise distribution or the permutation procedure, 305 common
transcripts were detected. There were 144 common differentially expressed
transcripts regardless of the statistical analysis or MAS version used.
|
|
We determined the chromosomal localization of the genes corresponding to
the transcripts that were differentially expressed in both replicate lines.
Comparison of these loci with the location of provisional QTLs previously
identified for AFT and the highly genetically correlated trait, BEC2
(Kirstein et al., 2002
), led
to the list of genes shown in Table
2. Regardless of the initial data analysis software used (MAS
version 4.0 or MAS version 5.0), and regardless of the statistical method
used, six genes were identified as being differentially expressed between HAFT
and LAFT mice and present in QTLs for AFT or BEC2. A two-way ANOVA revealed
significant main effects of line (HAFT vs LAFT), with no significant line by
group interaction (HAFT-1, LAFT-1, HAFT2, LAFT-2)
(Table 2 legend). All but one
of the differentially expressed genes localized within the QTLs were expressed
at higher levels in HAFT than in LAFT mice. It may be noteworthy that there
appears to be a cluster of differentially expressed genes located within one
particular QTL (chromosome 11). There was also one differentially expressed
EST (D11E17e) that was localized within the QTL on chromosome 11 (11:37), and
was identified regardless of the initial data analysis or statistical method
used. This EST was homologous to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene
MUM2, which plays a role in DNA replication
(Davis et al., 2001
). Certain
other genes that map to QTL regions were also identified as being
differentially expressed at the 80th percentile level by both statistical
analyses, but these statistical differences were evident only with either one
normalization/selection procedure or the other (MAS version 4.0 or MAS version
5.0) (Table 1).
Real-time PCR was used to verify the differential expression of some of the
genes identified by microarray and QTL analysis.
Figure 3 shows that not only
was the differential expression verified by real-time PCR, but also that the
magnitude of differences in expression was similar for both methods. Our
microarray data showed excellent reproducibility among samples [data available
as supplemental information at
www.jneurosci.org
(Fig.1)], and similar results
have been reported by others (Hoffman et
al., 2003
). Given this reproducibility, and the nearly identical
results obtained by real-time PCR compared with the microarray data, we
conclude that the reliability of the data obtained from microarrays is at
least equal to that obtained by real-time PCR for detecting statistically
significant differences in transcript expression. Data showing that protein
levels parallel mRNA levels for some of the differentially expressed
transcripts are also provided in the supplementary information [available at
www.jneurosci.org
(Fig. 2)].

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Figure 3. Verification of microarray data by real-time PCR. Real-time PCR was
performed using whole-brain total RNA from HAFT-1 and LAFT-1 mice (generation
24). The primer and probe sequences for NR1 and zinc finger protein 179 are
provided in Materials and Methods. A, Quantitation of NR1 and zinc
finger protein 179 mRNA levels are based on a standard curve and normalized to
18S rRNA (Materials and Methods). B, The differential
expression of NR1 and zinc finger protein 179 mRNA between HAFT and LAFT mice
was quantitatively similar when measured by microarrays or real-time PCR.
|
|
One explanation for the differential expression of the genes between HAFT
and LAFT mice is that a polymorphism in the 5' regulatory region of
certain genes underlies the QTL for AFT. As an initial step in exploring this
possibility, we identified consensus sequences for transcription factor
binding sites in the differentially expressed genes. As shown in
Table 3, all of the genes
identified using both initial analysis methods and both statistical
techniques, and for which information was available (see Materials and
Methods), had the consensus sequence for the CCAAT/enhancer binding protein
(C/EBP
), which is a transcription factor that has both constitutive and
cAMP-inducible activities (Wilson et al.,
2001
; Wilson and Roesler,
2002
). In addition, each of the differentially expressed genes had
one or more other transcription factor binding sites.
 |
Discussion
|
|---|
This study describes a novel method for identifying candidate genes
associated with a complex behavior. The method combines the use of lines of
animals that have been selectively bred for differences in behavior, i.e., AFT
to ethanol, with DNA microarray analysis, and QTL analysis. In the present
study, we used a high sensitivity threshold to initially estimate differential
brain gene expression between selected lines of HAFT and LAFT mice, resulting
in the identification of >300 genes that displayed differential expression
and that showed the same direction of difference in both replicate lines.
Because of the high sensitivity but low specificity of the initial screen,
there are likely to be a number of false positives among the initially
identified, differentially expressed genes. Specificity was subsequently
greatly enhanced by adding filters that limited the genes to those wherein:
(1) differences had to be statistically significant and be in the same
direction in both of the selected lines of mice, (2) the differentially
expressed genes had to be localized within QTLs associated with AFT, and (3)
differences had to be statistically significant regardless of the initial
microarray analysis procedure or statistical method used to detect
differences. These procedures allow us to more definitively identify a set of
genes that can be considered with some confidence to be important for AFT to
ethanol.
There are certain caveats that must be considered with respect to the
present identification of genes associated with the phenotype of AFT. For
instance, the differentially expressed genes that we have identified are
localized within some, but not all, of the provisional QTLs that have been
determined for AFT (Kirstein et al.,
2002
). The current method clearly will not identify genes that lie
within QTLs, and that differ in their coding regions, such that the function
of the gene product may be altered. It is also important to note that although
the HAFT and LAFT lines also differ in the development of tolerance to the
incoordinating effect of ethanol as measured on a rotarod apparatus
(Deitrich et al., 2000
;
Rustay et al., 2001
), they do
not differ in tolerance to certain other effects of ethanol (e.g., hypnotic
effect, change in body temperature;
Deitrich et al., 2000
;
Erwin et al., 2000
).
Therefore, the association of the identified genes cannot at this time be
generalized to acute tolerance to all physiological/pharmacological effects of
ethanol.
However, there are reasons to be confident that the genes that have been
identified are associated with AFT to the incoordinating actions of ethanol.
As mentioned, many of the differentially expressed genes localized within QTLs
were identified regardless of the method for analysis of the array data or the
statistical method used to determine differential expression. The restriction
that genes had to be differentially expressed in the same direction in both
replicate lines of selected HAFT and LAFT animals also provides confidence in
the results, because the replicate lines represent completely independent
selections for the same phenotype; i.e., different populations of
heterogeneous stock mice were used to start the two selective breeding
experiments. The use of replicate lines of selected animals has been
recommended because the observation of the same biochemical difference in both
lines provides more confidence that the difference is associated with the
selected phenotype (Crabbe et al.,
1990
). It is also important to note that the QTL analysis was
performed using the identical behavioral test that was used for selection
(Erwin and Deitrich, 1996
;
Kirstein et al., 2002
).
Therefore, there is a high degree of probability that the differentially
expressed genes that are localized within the QTLs are involved in AFT to the
incoordinating effect of ethanol.
Some of the differentially expressed genes that are localized within the
QTLs for AFT can be readily related to the measured behavior and can be
positioned within a signal transduction pathway that includes elements
previously associated with neuroadaptation. A more detailed discussion of this
pathway can be found in the supplementary information at
http://www2.uchsc.edu/pharm/faculty/tabakoff/suppl.asp.
Briefly, the glutamate receptor
2 (GluR
2) protein, which is
expressed exclusively in the cerebellum, is involved in motor coordination
(Araki et al., 1993
;
Kashiwabuchi et al., 1995
;
Zuo et al., 1997
;
Lalouette et al., 2001
), but
it is also physically associated with kinases and phosphatases that can
increase tyrosine phosphorylation of the NMDA receptor
(Roche et al., 1999
;
Hironaka et al., 2000
;
Miyagi et al., 2002
). Ephrin
B3, an ephrin ligand, activates ephrin receptors that are tyrosine kinases,
and activation of the ephrin system also increases NMDA receptor
phosphorylation (Kullander and Klein,
2002
; Murai and Pasquale,
2002
) and affects clustering of the NR1 subunit of the NMDA
receptor (Dalva et al., 2000
).
Tyrosine phosphorylation of the NMDA receptor by the nonreceptor tyrosine
kinase Fyn has been reported previously to be a key factor in AFT to the
inhibitory effect of ethanol on the NMDA receptor
(Miyakawa et al., 1997
).
Peroxidredoxin is an antioxidant protein that may interfere with the
downstream function of the NMDA receptor
(Chae et al., 1994
;
Marin et al., 1992
;
Cambonie et al., 2000
). Thus,
the combination of lower levels of GluR
2, Ephrin B3, and the NMDA
receptor subunit NR1, as well as the higher level of peroxiredoxin, provides a
picture of downregulated NMDA receptor function in the brains of LAFT mice,
and particularly provides a basis for concluding that tyrosine phosphorylation
of the receptor, which has been implicated in AFT to ethanol, would be
impaired in LAFT mice. Given the exclusive localization of GluR
2 in
cerebellar Purkinje cells, and the evidence for functional NMDA receptors in
these cells (Thompson et al.,
2000
; Misra et al.,
2000
; Miyagi et al.,
2002
), the data suggest that impaired NMDA receptor
phosphorylation/function in the cerebellum or other brain regions of LAFT mice
may be a contributing factor in the reduced AFT to the incoordinating effect
of ethanol in these mice.
The other genes that showed consistent differences in expression, and that
were localized within QTLs for AFT, were the zinc finger protein 179 and a
transcription elongation factor. Both of these genes control transcriptional
events (Sowden et al., 1995
;
Reines et al., 1999
), and the
zinc finger protein 179 is member of the RING finger (zinc binding domain)
family, that can be induced rapidly by activation of NMDA receptors
(Zhao et al., 1998
;
Ohkawa et al., 2001
). The
lower expression of these genes in the brains of LAFT mice is likely to
influence the expression of other specific genes that may, in a secondary
manner, contribute to AFT to ethanol. A schematic illustration of pathways
linking the differentially expressed genes is shown in the supplementary
information at
http://www2.uchsc.edu/pharm/faculty/tabakoff/suppl.asp.
We analyzed the differential expression of genes in whole brains of HAFT
and LAFT mice because there was no a priori basis for choosing a
brain area to be associated with AFT. The selective expression of certain
genes of interest (e.g., GluR
2) in the cerebellum provides some
post hoc evidence that a particular brain area may be functionally
important to the development of AFT to the incoordinating effect of
ethanol.
The differentially expressed genes within QTLs for AFT could reflect
polymorphisms in regulatory regions of the genes that affect transcription
factor binding. As an initial exploration of this possibility, we have used
bioinformatic techniques to assess putative transcription factor binding sites
associated with the differentially expressed genes. Additional work will be
needed to unravel the possible differences in the sequence or combinations of
sequences that may contribute to the differential expression of the identified
genes in HAFT and LAFT mice.
Clinical studies by Schuckit and Smith
(2000
) have indicated that
individuals with a positive family history of alcohol dependence (FHP) show
blunted physiological, behavioral (including incoordination), and subjective
responses to alcohol ("low response to alcohol") compared with
those with a negative family history of alcohol dependence. It has been
suggested that this blunted response may reflect greater levels of AFT in the
FHP individuals (Newlin and Thomson,
1990
). The low alcohol responders (primarily FHP) have been found
to have a significantly greater risk of becoming alcohol-dependent
(Schuckit and Smith, 2000
).
Schuckit et al. (2001
)
recently identified four chromosomal regions in humans that were correlated
with a low level of response to alcohol. We compared the identified human
chromosomal regions to the QTL regions for AFT in mice to determine whether
the differentially expressed genes that we had identified might lie within
regions of the human genome associated with AFT/low response to ethanol in
humans. By examining the syntenic regions of mouse and human genomes we were
able to determine that two mouse QTLs for AFT (chromosomal locations:
11:2943 and 1:81.189.2) were syntenic with regions of the human
genome that had been identified by Schuckit et al.
(2001
) as QTLs for low
response to ethanol. Of the four genes located in the mouse QTLs, two
(transcription elongation factor and peroxiredoxin 5) were located within or
near the human QTL regions. Whether the identified mouse genes within these
QTLs also show different expression between humans with a high and low
response to ethanol remains to be determined.
 |
Footnotes
|
|---|
Received Jan. 27, 2003;
revised Mar. 14, 2003;
accepted Mar. 18, 2003.
This work was supported in part by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse
and Alcoholism and the Banbury Fund. We thank Drs. Razvan Lapadat, Tzu Phang,
Sonia Leach, Imran Shah, and Lawrence Hunter of the Center for Computational
Pharmacology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center for their
assistance.
Correspondence should be addressed to Boris Tabakoff, Department of
Pharmacology C-236, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, 4200 East
Ninth Avenue, Denver, CO 80262. E-mail:
boris.tabakoff{at}uchsc.edu.
Copyright © 2003 Society for Neuroscience
0270-6474/03/234491-08$15.00/0
 |
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