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。我们采用了一种无偏见的经典遗传学方法来寻找控制成瘾的一个方面的基因，即对药物的敏感性。使用正向遗传筛选，我们已经分离出几个突变体，这些突变体在运动反应测定中对可卡因高度或低度敏感。其中一种突变体，Gridlock'd，对可卡因和安非他明的反应很低。我们已经将突变定位在8号染色体上。我建议精细定位8号染色体上的突变（目标1），克隆突变（目标2）和行为特征的突变（目标3）。克隆Gridlock'd可以揭示导致成瘾的激励激励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的治疗。

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.