Characterization & Cloning of the Response Psychostimulant Mutant Gridlock'd

描述（由候选人提供）：介导成瘾过程的基因数量很大，可能有数百个。研究成瘾的目的之一是找到介导成瘾的新成分，并可能成为治疗的目标。我们采用了无偏见的经典遗传方法来寻找控制成瘾的一个方面的基因，对药物的敏感性。利用前向基因筛选，我们在运动反应试验中分离出几种对可卡因高度或低敏感的突变体。其中一个变种人，Gridlock，对可卡因和安非他命的反应很低。我们把突变定位在8号染色体上。我建议在8号染色体上绘制这种突变的精细图谱（目标1），克隆这种突变（目标2），并对这种突变进行行为表征（目标3）。Gridlock'd的克隆可以揭示导致成瘾的激励动机奖励途径的新组成部分。对这种新成分的了解可能会导致针对这一途径设计的治疗方法。

DESCRIPTION (provided by candidate): The number of genes that mediate the process of addiction is large numbering possibly in the hundreds. One of the purposes of research into addiction is to find novel components that mediate addiction and which may be targeted for therapy. We have taken an unbiased classical genetic approach to find genes that control one aspect of addiction, sensitization to the drug. Using forward genetic screen we have isolated several mutants that are hyper or hypo-sensitive to cocaine in a locomotor response assay. One of these mutants, Gridlock'd, has low response to cocaine and amphetamine. We have mapped the mutation to chromosome 8. I propose to fine map this mutation on chromosome 8 (Objective 1), clone the mutation (Objective2) and behaviorally characterize the mutation (Objective 3). The cloning of Gridlock'd could reveal a new component of the incentive motivational reward pathway that leads to addiction. The knowledge of this new component could lead to therapies designed to target this pathway.