Genetic analysis of “Spontaneous” intermale aggression in mice

✍ Scribed by Nina K. Popova Professor; Alexander V. Kulikov

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1986
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 439 KB
• Volume: 12
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0096-140X
• DOI: 10.1002/1098-2337(1986)12:6<425::aid-ab2480120605>3.0.co;2-a

✦ Synopsis

Spontaneous" intermale aggression was investigated in seven inbred strains of mice. A positive interstrain correlation and cross-correlation was found for two indices of fighting intensity, ie, accumulated attacking time and number of attacks. The strain aggressiveness level (percent of mice fighting in each strain) does not correlate with the intensity of aggressive behavior. It has been shown by using a genetical analysis performed on C57BL16 and BALB/c strains, their reciprocal F1 hybrids, and backcrosses that these indices of intermale aggression are under different genetic control. Aggressive behavior intensity depends on the additive effects of genes. The control of strain aggressiveness level revealed that a high level of aggressiveness was dominant. No reciprocal effects were found. The level of aggressiveness and the intensity of fighting seem to represent different aspects of aggression and may be controlled by different genetic mechanisms.