Behavior and Stress Reactivity in Mouse Strains with Mitochondrial DNA Variations

摘要

We studied the behavior and neuroendocrine regulation under social disruption stressof C57BL/6J mice in which mitochondria were substituted by mitochondria from AKR/Jor FVB/N strains. C57BL/6J-mt~(FVB/N)mice were significantly more anxious in the ele-vated plus-maze test than C57BL/6J-mt~(AKR/J)andC57BL/6Jmice at base line. In addition,they showed a reduced corticosterone response and an activation of serotonergic anddopaminergic neurotransmitter systems after repeated challenge, i.e., social defeat andelevated plus-maze test. Our findings suggest that mitochondrial variations could af-fect anxiety-like behavior as well as corticosterone and neurotransmitter response topsychological stress.