Name Martien Kas
Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology
Section Neurobiology of Behavior
Section behavioural genomics
FunctionAssistant Professor
E-mail:
m.j.h.kas@umcutrecht.nl tel: +31-88-7568179
Research group Hilgo Bruining – Ph.D. student
Ria de Haas – Ph.D. student
Simone de Jong – Ph.D. student
Annetrude de Mooij-van Malsen – Ph.D. student
Hugo Oppelaar – technician
Eneda Pjetri – Ph.D. student
Title research line Interspecies genetics of neurobehavioral traits
Summary research Aims:
Eating disorders are complex psychiatric disorders in which patients display a variety of behavioral traits, including obsessionality, increased anxiety, and hyperactivity. These traits are also seen in other psychiatric disorders, such as obsessive-compulsive disorders and depression, which are often co-morbid with eating disorders. We aim to identify novel genetic loci and associated genetic pathways regulating neurobehavioral traits relevant to eating disorders
Experimental strategy:
The identification of molecular genetic mechanisms of eating disorder traits is established by combining three different experimental strategies:
1. Fine-grained analysis of behavior using both well-established animal models for
eating disorders as well as novel automated behavioral phenotyping methods for
related endophenotypes
2. Applying mouse genetic strategies to determine the genes underlying these neurobehavioral traits
3. Integration of mouse and human genetic findings
These studies are carried out in close collaboration with other members of the section Neurobiology of Behavior and the section Neurodevelopment, the Department of Psychiatry (UMC Utrecht), the Department of Biomedical Genetics (UMC Utrecht), the Department of Psychopharmacology (Utrecht University), Rintveld, Center for Eating Disorders (UMC Utrecht & Altrecht GGZ, Zeist), and the Institute of Psychiatry (London, UK).
Publications 1: Gelegen C, van den Heuvel J, Collier DA, Campbell IC, Oppelaar H, Hessel E, Kas MJ. Dopaminergic and BDNF signalling in inbred mice exposed to a restricted feeding schedule. Genes Brain Behav. 2008 Mar 19; [Epub ahead of print]
2: Kas MJ, Fernandes C, Schalkwyk LC, Collier DA. Genetics of behavioural domains across the neuropsychiatric spectrum; of mice and men. Mol Psychiatry. 2007 Apr;12(4):324-30.
3: Kas MJ, Tiesjema B, van Dijk G, Garner KM, Barsh GS, ter Brake O, Verhaagen J, Adan RA. Induction of brain-region-specific forms of obesity by agouti. J Neurosci. 2004 Nov 10;24(45):10176-81.
4:. Kas MJ, van den Bos R, Baars AM, Lubbers M, Lesscher HM, Hillebrand JJ, Schuller AG, Pintar JE, Spruijt BM. Mu-opioid receptor knockout mice show diminished food-anticipatory activity. Eur J Neurosci. 2004 Sep;20(6):1624-32.
5: Kas MJ, Van Ree JM. Dissecting complex behaviours in the post-genomic era. Trends Neurosci. 2004 Jul;27(7):366-9