The DOI matches its Crossref record; 2 of the 2 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Hoxb8 Is Required for Normal Grooming Behavior in Mice
Open accessAbstract
Repertoires of grooming behaviors critical to survival are exhibited by most animal species, including humans. Genes that influence this complex behavior are unknown. We report that mice with disruptions of Hoxb8 show, with 100% penetrance, excessive grooming leading to hair removal and lesions. Additionally, these mice excessively groom normal cagemates. We have been unable to detect any skin or PNS abnormalities in Hoxb8 mutants. These observations suggest that the excessive, pathological grooming exhibited by these mice results from CNS abnormalities. Consistent with this interpretation, we demonstrate Hoxb8 expression in regions of the adult mouse CNS previously implicated in the control of grooming. The aberrant behavior observed in Hoxb8 mutants is not unlike that of humans suffering from the OC-spectrum disorder, trichotillomania. Interestingly, Hoxb8 is expressed in regions of the CNS known as the "OCD-circuit."
Overview
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“Three models in particular exhibit markedly elevated grooming: the HoxB8 knockout mouse,[20] the SAPAP3 knockout mouse,[21] and the SliTrk5 knockout mouse.[22]”
From Trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder) (2019) · cites this paper as [20]
Citations
Cites
Toward a neurobiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder
Graybiel, A. M., & Rauch, S. L. (2000) · Neuron · doi:10.1016/s0896-6273(00)00113-6 · Cited by 864 · cited 1×
“Functional imaging analysis has led to the description of an OCD circuitusing electrodes implanted into the brainstem have demonstrated that comparable paleocerebellar circuits involving the basal ganglia and components of the neocortex (Graybiel and Rauch, 2000).”
BackgroundNeuroimaging and frontal–subcortical circuitry in obsessive–compulsive disorder
Saxena, S., Brody, A. L., Schwartz, J. M., & Baxter, L. R. (1998) · British Journal of Psychiatry · doi:10.1192/s0007125000297870 · Cited by 831
Research works printed but not linked: 40
- Aldridge, 1993, Neuronal coding of serial order, Psychol. Sci., 4, 391, 10.1111/j.1467-9280.1993.tb00587.x · DOI
- Araki, 1995, Site-specific recombination of a transgene in fertilized eggs by transient expression of Cre recombinase, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 92, 160, 10.1073/pnas.92.1.160 · DOI
- Berntson, 1988, Brainstem systems and grooming behaviors, Ann. NY Acad. Sci., 525, 350, 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1988.tb38619.x · DOI
- Berridge, 1989, Progressive degradation of serial grooming chains by descending decerebration, Behav. Brain Res., 33, 241, 10.1016/S0166-4328(89)80119-6 · DOI
- Berridge, 1989, Substantia nigra 6-OHDA lesions mimic striatopallidal disruption of syntactic grooming chains, Psychobiol., 17, 377, 10.3758/BF03337797 · DOI
- Berridge, 1987, Deafferentation does not disrupt natural rules of action syntax, Behav. Brain Res., 23, 69, 10.1016/0166-4328(87)90243-9 · DOI
- Berridge, 1987, Disruption of natural grooming chains after striatopallidal lesions, Psychobiol., 15, 336, 10.3758/BF03327290 · DOI
- Berridge, 1987, Natural syntax rules control action sequence of rats, Behav. Brain Res., 23, 59, 10.1016/0166-4328(87)90242-7 · DOI
- Berridge, 1992, Cortex, striatum and cerebellum, Exp. Brain Res., 90, 275, 10.1007/BF00227239 · DOI
- Cannon, 1992, Alterations in self-grooming sequences in the rat as a consequence of hippocampal damage, Psychobiol., 20, 205, 10.3758/BF03332049 · DOI
- Capecchi, 1997, Hox genes and mammalian development, Cold Spring Harb. Symp. Quant. Biol., 62, 273, 10.1101/SQB.1997.062.01.034 · DOI
- Chen, 1997, Targeted mutations in hoxa-9 and hoxb-9 reveal synergistic interactions, Dev. Biol., 181, 186, 10.1006/dbio.1996.8440 · DOI
- Chen, 1999, The paralogous mouse Hox genes, Hoxa9, Hoxb9 and Hoxd9, function together to control development of the mammary gland in response to pregnancy, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 96, 541, 10.1073/pnas.96.2.541 · DOI
- Cohen-Tannoudji, 2000, lacZ sequences prevent regulated expression of housekeeping genes, Mech. Dev., 90, 29, 10.1016/S0925-4773(99)00226-9 · DOI
- Cromwell, 1996, Implementation of action sequences by a neostriatal site, J. Neurosci., 16, 3444, 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.16-10-03444.1996 · DOI
- Deschamps, 1993, Two phases in the establishment of HOX expression domains, Dev. Biol., 156, 473, 10.1006/dbio.1993.1093 · DOI
- Fentress, 1988, Expressive contexts, fine structure, and central mediation of rodent grooming, Ann. NY Acad. Sci., 525, 18, 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1988.tb38592.x · DOI
- Godwin, 1998, Hoxc13 mutant mice lack external hair, Genes Dev., 12, 11, 10.1101/gad.12.1.11 · DOI
- Graybiel, 1997, The basal ganglia and cognitive pattern generators, Schizophr. Bull., 23, 459, 10.1093/schbul/23.3.459 · DOI · Paper page
- Guy, 1997, Position effects in mice carrying a lacZ transgene in cis with the beta-globin LCR can be explained by a graded model, Nucleic Acids Res., 25, 4400, 10.1093/nar/25.21.4400 · DOI
- Horwath, 2000, The epidemiology and cross-national presentation of obsessive- compulsive disorder, Psychiatr. Clin. North Am., 23, 493, 10.1016/S0193-953X(05)70176-3 · DOI
- Le Mouellic, 1992, Homeosis in the mouse induced by a null mutation in the Hox-3.1 gene, Cell, 69, 251, 10.1016/0092-8674(92)90406-3 · DOI
- MacLean, 1978, Effects of lesions of globus pallidus on species-typical display behavior of squirrel monkeys, Brain Res., 149, 175, 10.1016/0006-8993(78)90597-8 · DOI
- MacLean, 1985, Brain evolution relating to family, play, and the separation call, Arch. Gen. Psychiatry, 42, 405, 10.1001/archpsyc.1985.01790270095011 · DOI
- MacLean, 1985, Evolutionary psychiatry and the triune brain, Psychol. Med., 15, 219, 10.1017/S0033291700023485 · DOI
- Manley, 1995, The role of hoxa-3 in mouse thymus and thyroid development, Development, 121, 1989, 10.1242/dev.121.7.1989 · DOI
- Mansour, 1993, Mice homozygous for a targeted disruption of the proto-oncogene int-2 have developmental defects in the tail and inner ear, Development, 117, 13, 10.1242/dev.117.1.13 · DOI
- Mansour, 1988, Disruption of the proto-oncogene int-2 in mouse embryo-derived stem cells, Nature, 336, 348, 10.1038/336348a0 · DOI · Paper page
- McGrath, 1999, The role of cognitive and affective processing in a transgenic mouse model of cortical-limbic neuropotentiated compulsive behavior, Behav. Neurosci., 113, 1249, 10.1037/0735-7044.113.6.1249 · DOI
- Odenwald, 1987, Expression of a homeo domain protein in noncontact-inhibited cultured cells and postmitotic neurons, Genes Dev., 1, 482, 10.1101/gad.1.5.482 · DOI
- Rancourt, 1995, Genetic interaction between hoxb-5 and hoxb-6 is revealed by nonallelic noncomplementation, Genes Dev., 9, 108, 10.1101/gad.9.1.108 · DOI
- Richmond, 1980, Grooming in Norway rats, Behaviour, 75, 82, 10.1163/156853980X00573 · DOI
- Robertson, 1999, Behavioral effects of anti-muscarinic, anti-serotonergic, and anti-NMDA treatments, Brain Res., 838, 234, 10.1016/S0006-8993(99)01743-6 · DOI
- Sachs, 1988, The development of grooming and its expression in adult animals, Ann. NY Acad. Sci., 525, 1, 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1988.tb38591.x · DOI
- Sarna, 2000, The Dalila effect, Behav. Brain Res., 108, 39, 10.1016/S0166-4328(99)00137-0 · DOI
- Stein, 1992, The neuroethological approach to obsessive-compulsive disorder, Compr. Psychiatry, 33, 274, 10.1016/0010-440X(92)90053-S · DOI
- Strozik, 1981, Whisker trimming in mice, Lab. Anim., 15, 309, 10.1258/002367781780953040 · DOI
- Thomas, 1987, Site-directed mutagenesis by gene targeting in mouse embryo-derived stem cells, Cell, 51, 503, 10.1016/0092-8674(87)90646-5 · DOI · Paper page
- Thorey, 1993, Embryonic expression of human keratin 18 and K18-beta-galactosidase fusion genes in transgenic mice, Dev. Biol., 160, 519, 10.1006/dbio.1993.1326 · DOI
- van den Akker, 1999, Targeted inactivation of Hoxb8 affects survival of a spinal ganglion and causes aberrant limb reflexes, Mech. Dev., 89, 103, 10.1016/S0925-4773(99)00212-9 · DOI
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Items 301–336 of 336
Trichotillomania (Compulsive Hair Pulling) and Compulsive Skin Picking
Fineberg, N., Grant, J., Odlaug, B., Boulougouris, V., & Chamberlain, S. (2010) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-08-045396-5.00184-6 · Cited by 1
The Genetics of Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder
Grados, M. A., & Dang, R. (2009) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-90-481-2298-1_9 · Cited by 8
Conservation of Phenotypes in the Roman High- and Low-Avoidance Rat Strains After Embryo Transfer
Río-Álamos, C., Gerbolés, C., Tapias-Espinosa, C., Sampedro-Viana, D., Oliveras, I., Sánchez-González, A., Cañete, T., Blázquez, G., López, M. D. M., Baldellou, C., et al. (2017) · Behavior Genetics · doi:10.1007/s10519-017-9854-2
“In addition, there is evidence indicating a high sensitivity of self-grooming (and self-grooming sequencing) to genetic influences (Kalueff et al. 2016; see also; Greer and Capecchi 2002), and it has been shown that selfgrooming can be bidirectionally affected by psychological stress (Fernández-Teruel and Estanislau 2…”
BackgroundA Gut‐Brain Axis Underlying Succinate‐Associated Compulsive‐Like Behavior
Li, Y., Zhang, Y.-D., Wang, W., Wu, X., Li, D., Gong, X., Tian, F., Dai, M., Gao, J., Zheng, Z., et al. (2026) · Advanced Science · doi:10.1002/advs.77836
“This transgenic line is a well-established model of trichotillomania, an OCD-spectrum disorder, exhibiting excessive anxiety and compulsive-like behaviors [ 37, 38 ].”
A Microglial Regulatory Program Linked to Neuropsychiatric DisordersPreprint
Tränkner, D., Johnson, A. P., Williams, M. E., & Rothenfluh, A. (2026) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.64898/2026.08.27.747643
“Germline disruption of Hoxb8 causes pathological overgrooming and anxiety-like behavior despite developmental abnormalities largely restricted to sensory circuits of the dorsal spinal cord (Chen et al., 2010; Greer & Capecchi, 2002; Trankner et al., 2019).”
Zhang, N., Xue, L., Chai, S., Wang, T., Jiang, Y., Lei, J., & Wei, H. (2026) · Neuroscience · doi:10.1016/j.neuroscience.2026.07.034
Miller, E. C., Bork, T., McCall, C., Allen, K., Hoover, C., Nemeth, C., Eby, A., Borrelli, H., Vandiver, V., Trollip, L., et al. (2026) · Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2026.111871
Zheng, X., Liu, L., Niu, Z., Li, Y., Liu, Z., Shu, X., Wang, H., Xu, B., Wang, Y., Chen, J., et al. (2026) · Poultry Science · doi:10.1016/j.psj.2026.107232
“HOXB8 knockout induces compulsive grooming and anxiety in mice, recapitulating symptoms of human obsessive-compulsive disorder and trichotillomania (Greer and Capecchi, 2002).”
Novel mouse line with D277N mutation in the Plau gene displays autism spectrum disorder-like traits
Karagyaur, M., Averina, O., Bozov, K., Dzhauari, S., Priymak, A., Khaybullina, R., Permyakov, O., Popov, V., Grigorieva, O., Illarionova, M., et al. (2026) · Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology · doi:10.3389/fcell.2026.1762737
“On the other hand, the propensity for stereotypy in these mice may not be present, as this behavioral disorder may be due to dysfunction of other/additional genes (e.g., Hoxb8 , Slc1a1 , Sapap3 , Slitrk5 , Spred2 or PlxnA3 ) (Greer and Capecchi, 2002; Zike et al., 2017; Karagyaur et al., 2025).”
Trichotillomania and trichophagia leading to gastric perforation in an adolescent: A case report
da Silva, B. C., & Cardoso, I. (2026) · Neuropsychiatrie de l'enfance et de l'adolescence · doi:10.1016/j.neurenf.2026.02.011
Are microglia in charge of controlling stress-response behavior?
Cordeiro, R. C., Scaini, G., & Quevedo, J. (2024) · Molecular Psychiatry · doi:10.1038/s41380-024-02511-x · Cited by 1
“A growing body of research indicates that a targeted disruption/mutation of the Hoxb8 gene or ablation of a microglial subpopulation induced chronic anxiety and OCSD-like behavior, compulsive pathological hair pulling, to the point of showing lesions at the sites of overgrooming [5, 6].”
Animal models of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Nabizadeh, M., & Ahmadi, F. (2022) · Journal of Neurodevelopmental Cognition · doi:10.52547/jncog.2022.103445
“and at the moment, five OCD mouse models are included in genetic animal models as: the D1CT-7 transgenic mouse model of comorbid OCD and TS (Tourette’s syndrome), the mutant mouse Hoxb8 model of trichotillomania, the SAP90/PSD95-associated protein 3 (SAPAP3), the 5-HT2C receptor knockout mouse model of OCD and the DAT…”
Horii‐Hayashi, N., Masuda, K., Kato, T., Kobayashi, K., & Nishi, M. (2022) · bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) · doi:10.1101/2022.11.01.514798
“HoxB8 (46), Slitrk5 (47), Sapap3 (48), and aromatase (49) as well as an optogenetic model stimulating the OFC-Str pathway (50).”
BackgroundEl “barbering”: un problema frecuente en ratones de laboratorio
Hincapié, J. A., Suárez, M. L. C., & Góngora, M. E. (2022) · CES Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia · doi:10.21615/cesmvz.6776 · Cited by 1
Olusoji, E. B., Adesina, M., & Kanmodi, K. K. (2019) · The APRN and PA’s Complete Guide to Prescribing Drug Therapy · doi:10.1891/9780826179340.0394
“In an animal research work, Greer and Capecchi (2002) reported that mice with mutation of the hoxb8 neurodevelopmental gene showed aberrant grooming behaviour including hair pulling.”
BackgroundThe Molecular Genetics of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders
Kohlrausch, F. B. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108164313.005 · Cited by 1
Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors
Grant, J. E., & Chamberlain, S. R. (2018) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/9781108164313.029
Vayısoğlu, S. (2018) · Journal of Neurology & Stroke · doi:10.15406/jnsk.2018.08.00330
Functions of the transcription factor Lyl-1 in the development of the macrophage lineage
Wang, S. (2017) · theses.fr (ABES) · doi:10.70675/9d04371azfd66z45f0z94b9zee4c34133d89
“By specifically deleting the Hoxb8 gene, Greer and Capecchi found that the resultant knockout mice display excessive (pathological) grooming behavior in an obsessive-compulsive behavioral pattern that lead to hair loss and self-inflicted skin lesions (Greer and Capecchi, 2002).”
de Oliveira, D. M. (2015) · Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (Universidade de São Paulo) · doi:10.11606/t.42.2015.tde-10122015-070134
Obsessive–Compulsive and Related Disorders: Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder and Hoarding Disorder
Pato, M. T., Steketee, G. S., Eisen, J. L., Yip, A. G., & Phillips, K. A. (2015) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781118753378.ch57
Visual Perception: Bizarre Contours Go Against the Odds
Fleming, R. W. (2011) · Current Biology · doi:10.1016/j.cub.2011.02.012 · Cited by 2
Key to psychological disorder may lie in the immune system
Weaver, J. (2010) · Nature · doi:10.1038/news.2010.268
Syndrome de Gilles de la Tourette : vers le renouveau des maladies neuropsychiatriques
Derkinderen, P. (2008) · La Presse Médicale · doi:10.1016/j.lpm.2006.11.032
Neurobiology and Pharmacotherapy of Obsessive‐Compulsive Disorder
Rapoport, J. L., & Inoff‐Germain, G. (2007) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9780470101001.hcn028
Murphy, T. K., Frazier, S., & Kim, S. (2008) · Humana Press eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-59745-252-6_10 · Cited by 11
Behavioural genetics: A question of grooming
Patterson, M. (2002) · Nature Reviews Neuroscience · doi:10.1038/nrn744
Immune Dysfunction in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: From Risk Factors to Multisystem Involvement
Maia, A. C. C. D. O., Barahona-Corrêa, B., Oliveira-Maia, A. J., & Oliveira, J. (2021) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-030-71229-7_17
Genetic Approaches for the Cell-Specific Deletion of the Neuronal Glutamate Transporter EAAC1
Hilaire, D. S. (2021) · doi:10.54014/pxqs-nzgt
“These mice show OCD-like behaviors through excessive grooming, but it is unclear to which extent these findings can be translatable 14 and informative about OCD in humans (Greer & Capecchi, 2002).”
BackgroundTHE IMPACT OF BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTION ON PATIENTS WITH PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSES
Galop, B. (2020) · UKnowledge (University of Kentucky) · doi:10.13023/etd.2020.208
“Additionally, most patients resolved from the associated symptoms within 2-3 months post-BMT, thereby not leading to the requirement of a chronic mental health diagnosis.(3) BMT has also been postulated to cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD),”
BackgroundInfluentialInflammatory Disorders of the Cutaneous Appendages
Phung, T., Wright, T., Pourciau, C., & Smoller, B. (2017) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-319-44824-4_10
Murphy, T. K., Stewart, S. E., & Obregon, D. F. (2016) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-1-4939-2528-5_10 · Cited by 6
Molecular Genetics and Metabolism
Quinonez, S. C., & Innis, W. (2014) · doi:10.1016/s1096-7192(14)00030-4
Trastorno obsesivo compulsivo y trastornos relacionados
Stewart, E., Lafleur, D., Dougherty, D. D., Wilhelm, S., Keuthen, N., & Jenike, M. (2014) · doi:10.1176/appi.books.9780890425657.x06-es
Tiermodelle für Zwangsstörungen
Winter, C. (2011) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-642-19844-1_26
Metadata
- Authors
- Greer, J. M., & Capecchi, M. R.
- Affiliations
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute (US)
- Corresponding author
- Capecchi, Mario R.
- ORCID
- Capecchi, Mario R.
- Venue
- Neuron
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2002-01
- Volume
- 33
- Issue
- 1
- Pages
- 23-34
- ISSN
- 0896-6273 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2155060440
- Cited by
- 401
- References
- 46
- Citations by year
- 2026: 10 · 2025: 12 · 2024: 14 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 11 · 2021: 22 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 22 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 19 · 2014: 20 · 2013: 18 · 2012: 25
- FWCI
- 19.87
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- bronze
- doi.org
- Licence
- www.elsevier.com/tdm/userlicense/1.0/ (tdm)
- www.elsevier.com/legal/tdmrep-license (tdm)
- www.elsevier.com/open-access/userlicense/1.0/ (vor, 4215 d)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-017 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-037 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-012 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-029 (stm-asf)
- doi.org/10.15223/policy-004 (stm-asf)
- Locations
- Neuron (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- National Institutes of Health
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Dermatology › Hair Growth and Disorders
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Genetics and Neurodevelopmental Disorders
- Keywords
- Hoxb8, grooming, obsessive-compulsive disorder, trichotillomania, hair removal
- MeSH terms
- Aging, Alleles, Animals, Animals, Newborn, Behavior, Animal, Bone and Bones, Brain, Brain Chemistry, Disease Models, Animal, Female, Genotype, Grooming, Male, Mice, Neurologic Mutants, Nerve Net, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Phenotype, RNA, Messenger, Skin, Mice, Knockout, Homeodomain Proteins, Mice
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
