These expression genetic studies have also uncovered another unusual characteristic of mouse distal Chr 1. In addition to the extensive cis-effects, a large number of transcripts of genes located on other chromosomes map into this same short interval on distal Chr 1 [47],[48]. These types of QTLs are often referred to as trans-QTLs. The clustering of trans-QTLs to distal Chr 1 has been replicated in multiple crosses and CNS microarray datasets [47]. We refer to this region of Chr 1, extending from Fcgr3 (172.5 Mb) to Rgs7 (177.5 Mb) as the QTL-rich region on Chr 1, or Qrr1. It is possible that these modulatory effects on expression are the first steps in a cascade of events that are ultimately responsible for many of the prominent differences in behavior and neuropharmacology. For example, Qrr1 modulates the expression of several genes that have been implicated in seizure (e.g., Scn1b, Pnpo, Cacna1g), and this may be a basis for the strong influence Qrr1 has on seizure susceptibility [41].
