Pharmacogenetics of phenylethylamine: determination of heritability and genetic transmission of locomotor effects in recombinant inbred strains of mice.

beta-Phenylethylamine (PEA) is an amphetamine-like compound that is postulated to be a possible endogenous psychotogen. We studied locomotor response to PEA in two inbred progenitor strains of mice (C57BL/6 By and BALB/c By), their reciprocal F1 hybrids (B6CF1 and CB6F1), and seven recombinant inbred strains (CXBD, CXBE, CXBG, CXBH, CXBI, CXGJ, and CXBK). Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses were done. Heritability of the response to PEA was 82%. The strain distribution pattern was suggestive of the inheritance of the trait through a single major gene locus.