John K. Belknap
Senior Research Career Scientist, Research Service, VAMC
Professor, Behavioral Neuroscience, OHSU
e-mail: belknajo@ohsu.edu
Major Areas
Genetics of behavioral traits related to drug abuse
Previous Positions
Professor, Department of Pharmacology, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks
Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin
Education
B.A. (1966) University of Colorado
M.A. (1969) University of Colorado
Ph.D. (1971) University of Colorado
Research Interests
The Belknap lab is devoted to genetic studies of sensitivity to many effects of drugs subject to abuse using a wide range of genetic mouse models including inbred strains, intercrosses, selectively-bred lines, knockouts, congenics and ENU mutagen screens. The principal drugs for study are cocaine, methamphetamine, morphine and alcohol and the traits are those often associated with these drugs in humans, such as alcohol and morphine withdrawal, alcohol drinking, cocaine consumption, morphine analgesia, methamphetamine stereotypy and cocaine seizures. One goal of this work is to detect and map to specific chromosomal regions the genes (polygenes) influencing these traits. The location of these genes are referred to as quantitative trait loci, or QTLs. Another goal is to determine the multiple drugs influenced by these QTLs, and how they interact with other genes (gene-gene interactions) throughout the genome. Since the organization of genes on chromosomes is highly similar between mouse and humans, mapped QTLs in the mouse often maps them in the human genome as well.
Selected Recent Publications
Rhodes JS, Best K, Belknap JK, Finn DA, Crabbe JC (2005) Evaluation of a simple model of ethanol drinking to intoxication in C57BL/6J mice. Physiol Behav. Jan 31;84(1):53-63.
Churchill GA,..., Belknap JK,... et al; Complex Trait Consortium (2004) The Collaborative Cross, a community resource for the genetic analysis of complex traits. Nat Genet. Nov;36(11):1133-7.
Williams RW, Bennett B, Lu L, Gu J, DeFries JC, Carsone-Link PJ, Rikke BA, Belknap JK, Johnson TE (2004) Genetic structure of the LXS panel of recombinant inbred mouse strains: A powerful resource for complex trait analysis. Mamm Genome. Aug;15(8):637-47.
Kliethermes CL, Metten P, Belknap JK, Buck KJ, Crabbe JC (2004) Selection for pentobarbital withdrawal severity: Correlated differences in withdrawal from other sedative drugs. Brain Res. May 29;1009(1-2):17-25.
Fehr C, Shirley RL, Metten P, Kosobud AE, Belknap JK, Crabbe JC, Buck KJ (2004) Potential pleiotropic effects of Mpdz on vulnerability to seizures. Genes Brain Behav. Feb;3(1):8-19.
Belknap JK (2003) Chromosome substitution strains: Some quantitative considerations for genome scans and fine mapping. Mamm Genome. Nov;14(11):723-32.
Klein RF, Allard J, Avnur Z, Nikolcheva T, Rotstein D, Carlos AS, Shea M, Waters RV, Belknap JK, Peltz G, Orwoll ES (2004) Regulation of bone mass in mice by the lipoxygenase gene Alox15. Science. Jan 9;303(5655):229-32.
Mueller JL, Ellenberger EA, Vaughn LK, Belknap JK, Quock RM (2004) Detection and mapping of quantitative trait loci that determine responsiveness of mice to nitrous oxide antinociception. Neuroscience. 123(3):743-9.