Localization to chromosome 10 of a locus influencing morphine analgesia in crosses derived from C57BL/6 and DBA/2 strains.

A quantitative trait locus (QTL) was detected and mapped to proximal chromosome 10 near the markers Mpmv5 and D10Mit51 with a strong influence on morphine-induced analgesia in the BXD recombinant inbred (RI) strains and in an F2 cross (B6D2F2) between the BXD progenitor strains, C57BL/6 and DBA/2. A LOD score of 3.9 (p < .00002) was seen for analgesia using the hot plate assay. Naloxone Bmax was also associated with this chromosome region in BXD RI mice. The mu opioid receptor gene (Oprm) has recently been mapped to this same chromosome region. The observation that several morphine-related traits and naloxone Bmax appear to be partly determined by this presumed single locus is consistent with the hypothesis that the mu opioid receptor gene, or one of its modulators, is the basis for the QTL.