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Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis.
Although several genes have been shown to alter HPA and HPT acitvity, the genetic evidence available
for their role suggests unknown additional and compensatory mechanisms that regulate these two
hormonal axes. Since hormones of these two axes are fundamentally involved in the response or resistance
to stress and the necessary enery that is requires, the mutations that lead to altered secretion of
corticosterone, T4 or TSH are likely to present with hehavioral phenotypes as well. The open field,
elevated plus maze and acitivity measures of the general screen provide additional assessment for
behavioral stress-responsivity of the HPA and HPT mutations.
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