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Rat Genome Database (RGD): mapping disease onto the genome.

The Rat Genome Database (RGD, http://rgd.mcw.edu) is an NIH-funded project whose stated mission is 'to collect, consolidate and integrate data generated from ongoing rat genetic and genomic research efforts and make these data widely available to the scientific community'. In a collaboration between the Bioinformatics Research Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin, the Jackson Laboratory and the National Center for Biotechnology Information, RGD has been created to meet these stated aims. The rat is uniquely suited to its role as a model of human disease and the primary focus of RGD is to aid researchers in their study of the rat and in applying their results to studies in a wider context. In support of this we have integrated a large amount of rat genetic and genomic resources in RGD and these are constantly being expanded through ongoing literature and bulk dataset curation. RGD version 2.0, released in June 2001, includes curated data on rat genes, quantitative trait loci (QTL), microsatellite markers and rat strains used in genetic and genomic research. VCMap, a dynamic sequence-based homology tool was introduced, and allows researchers of rat, mouse and human to view mapped genes and sequences and their locations in the other two organisms, an essential tool for comparative genomics. In addition, RGD provides tools for gene prediction, radiation hybrid mapping, polymorphic marker selection and more. Future developments will include the introduction of disease-based curation expanding the curated information to cover popular disease systems studied in the rat. This will be integrated with the emerging rat genomic sequence and annotation pipelines to provide a high-quality disease-centric resource, applicable to human and mouse via comparative tools such as VCMap. RGD has a defined community outreach focus with a Visiting Scientist program and the Rat Community Forum, a web-based forum for rat researchers and others interested in using the rat as an experimental model. Thus, RGD is not only a valuable resource for those working with the rat but also for researchers in other model organisms wishing to harness the existing genetic and physiological data available in the rat to complement their own work.

Animals↗

Spasmodic, a mutation on chromosome 11 in the mouse.

A new recessive mutation, spasmodic (spd), producing behavior that mimics that of the neurological mutation spastic (spa) with rapid tremors, stiff posture, and difficulty in righting, arose spontaneously in strain A/HeJ at the Jackson Laboratory in 1979. It is not an allele of spa and linkage tests show that this mutation is located close to vestigial tail (vt) near the center of chromosome 11. Additional genetic tests show that it is not an allele of trembler (Tr), shaker-2 (sh-2), nor vibrator (vb), all neurological mutations located in the same region of chromosome 11. No differences were observed in the levels of the major CNS and PNS myelin proteins or lipids of spd/spd mice versus littermate controls, suggesting that, unlike several closely linked mutations, the spd mutation does not affect myelination. Pharmacological studies reported here show that aminooxyacetic acid improves the behavioral abnormalities of affected spd/spd mice in the same way it improves the behavior of affected spa/spa mice. However, unlike the spa/spa mice, there are no changes in the postsynaptic receptors for glycine, GABA, or benzodiazepines in spd/spd mice.

Aminooxyacetic Acid↗

An efficient SNP system for mouse genome scanning and elucidating strain relationships.

A set of 1638 informative SNP markers easily assayed by the Amplifluor genotyping system were tested in 102 mouse strains, including the majority of the common and wild-derived inbred strains available from The Jackson Laboratory. Selected from publicly available databases, the markers are on average approximately 1.5 Mb apart and, whenever possible, represent the rare allele in at least two strains. Amplifluor assays were developed for each marker and performed on two independent DNA samples from each strain. The mean number of polymorphisms between strains was 608+/-136 SD. Several tests indicate that the markers provide an effective system for performing genome scans and quantitative trait loci analyses in all but the most closely related strains. Additionally, the markers revealed several subtle differences between closely related mouse strains, including the groups of several 129, BALB, C3H, C57, and DBA strains, and a group of wild-derived inbred strains representing several Mus musculus subspecies. Applying a neighbor-joining method to the data, we constructed a mouse strain family tree, which in most cases confirmed existing genealogies.

Alleles↗

The development of a highly informative mouse Simple Sequence Length Polymorphism (SSLP) marker set and construction of a mouse family tree using parsimony analysis.

To identify highly informative markers for a large number of commonly employed murine crosses, we selected a subset of the extant mouse simple sequence length polymorphism (SSLP) marker set for further development. Primer pairs for 314 SSLP markers were designed and typed against 54 inbred mouse strains. We designed new PCR primer sequences for the markers selected for multiplexing using the fluorescent dyes FAM, VIC, NED, and ROX. The number of informative markers for C57BL/6J x DBA/2J is 217, with an average spacing of 6.8 centiMorgans (cM). For all other pairs of strains, the mean number of informative markers per cross is 197.0 (SD 37.8) with a mean distance between markers of 6.8 cM (SD 1.1). To confirm map positions of the 224 markers in our set that are polymorphic between Mus musculus and Mus spretus, we used The Jackson Laboratory (TJL) interspecific backcross mapping panel (TJL BSS); 168 (75%) of these markers had not been previously mapped in this cross by other investigators, adding new information to this community map resource. With this large data set, we sought to reconstruct a phylogenetic history of the laboratory mouse using Wagner parsimony analysis. Our results are largely congruent with the known history of inbred mouse strains.

Alleles↗

Differentiation of epidermal Langerhans cells in macrophage colony-stimulating-factor-deficient mice homozygous for the osteopetrosis (op) mutation.

The osteopetrosis (op) mutation is within the gene for macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF). Homozygotes (op/op) lack M-CSF activity and show abnormalities in the differentiation of osteoclasts and other cells within the macrophage lineage. The effect of the op mutation on the development of Langerhans cells (LC) was determined in order to assess differentiation of such cells in vivo in the absence of M-CSF. (C57BL/6J X C3HeB/FeJ)F2-op/op and +/? Littermate control mice were raised from +/? breeders obtained from the Jackson Laboratory. The mice were killed with ether anesthesia at 4 weeks after birth and skin specimens were excised and examined by immunohistochemistry using anti-mouse pan macrophage monoclonal antibodies (MoAb), F4/80 and BM8; anti-mouse LC MoAb, NLDC-145, M1-8, and MIDC8; and anti-mouse Ia MoAb, M5/114. In epidermal sheets, numbers of LC were counted. Histochemical staining of adenosine diphosphatase (ADPase) localization was also performed as a marker of LC. Epidermal LC from op/op mice showed reactivity with all these MoAb. Numbers of LC were slightly reduced, but the reduction was not significant statistically. The presence of Birbeck granules in LC of op/op mice was confirmed by electron microscopy but the cytoplasmic projection of LC was not prominent. From these results, it appears obvious that the development and differentiation of LC do not require M-CSF.

Animals↗

Molecular and pharmacological approaches to inhibiting nitric oxide after burn trauma.

Whereas controversial, several studies have suggested that nitric oxide (NO) alters cardiac contractility via cGMP, peroxynitrite, or poly(ADP ribose) synthetase (PARS) activation. This study determined whether burn-related upregulation of myocardial inducible NO synthase (iNOS) and NO generation contributes to burn-mediated cardiac contractile dysfunction. Mice homozygous null for the iNOS gene (iNOS knockouts) were obtained from Jackson Laboratory. iNOS knockouts (KO) as well as wild-type mice were given a cutaneous burn over 40% of the total body surface area by the application of brass probes (1 x 2 x 0.3 cm) heated to 100 degrees C to the animals' sides and back for 5 s (iNOS/KO burn and wild-type burn). Additional groups of iNOS KO and wild-type mice served as appropriate sham burn groups (iNOS/KO sham and wild-type sham). Cardiac function was assessed 24 h postburn by perfusing hearts (n = 7-10 mice/group). Burn trauma in wild-type mice impaired cardiac function as indicated by the lower left ventricular pressure (LVP, 67 +/- 2 mmHg) compared with that measured in wild-type shams (94 +/- 2 mmHg, P < 0.001), a lower rate of LVP rise (+dP/dtmax, 1,620 +/- 94 vs. 2,240 +/- 58 mmHg/s, P < 0.001), and a lower rate of LVP fall (-dP/dtmax, 1,200 +/- 84 vs. 1,800 +/- 42 mmHg/s, P < 0.001). Ventricular function curves confirmed significant contractile dysfunction after burn trauma in wild-type mice. Burn trauma in iNOS KO mice produced fewer cardiac derangements compared with those observed in wild-type burns (LVP: 78 +/- 5 mmHg; +dP/dt: 1,889 +/- 160 mmHg/s; -dP/dt: 1,480 +/- 154 mmHg/s). The use of a pharmacological approach to inhibit iNOS (aminoguanidine, given ip) in additional wild-type shams and burns confirmed the iNOS KO data. Whereas the absence of iNOS attenuated burn-mediated cardiac contractile dysfunction, these experiments did not determine the contribution of cardiac-derived NO versus NO generated by immune cells. However, our data indicate a role for NO in cardiac dysfunction after major trauma.

Animals↗

Invited review: Identifying new mouse models of cardiovascular disease: a review of high-throughput screens of mutagenized and inbred strains.

The mouse is a proven model for studying human disease. Many strains exist that exhibit either natural or engineered genetic variation and thereby enable the elucidation of pathways involved in the development of cardiovascular disease. Although those mouse models have been fundamental to advancing our knowledge base, we are still at an early stage in understanding how genes contribute to complex disorders. There remains a need for new animal models that closely represent human disease. To expedite their development, we have established the Center for New Mouse Models of Heart, Lung, Blood, and Sleep Disorders at The Jackson Laboratory. We are using a phenotype-driven approach to identify mutations leading to atherosclerosis, hypertension, obesity, blood disorders, lung dysfunction, thrombosis, and disordered sleep. Our high-throughput, comprehensive phenotyping draws from two sources for new models: 1) the natural variation among over 40 inbred mouse strains and 2) chemically induced, whole-genome mutagenized mice. Here, we review our cardiovascular screens and present some hypertensive, obese, and cardiovascular models identified with this approach.

Animals↗

Prostate pathology of genetically engineered mice: definitions and classification. The consensus report from the Bar Harbor meeting of the Mouse Models of Human Cancer Consortium Prostate Pathology Committee.

The Pathological Classification of Prostate Lesions in Genetically Engineered Mice (GEM) is the result of a directive from the National Cancer Institute Mouse Models of Human Cancer Consortium Prostate Steering Committee to provide a hierarchical taxonomy of disorders of the mouse prostate to facilitate classification of existing and newly created mouse models and the translation to human prostate pathology. The proposed Bar Harbor Classification system is the culmination of three meetings and workshops attended by various members of the Prostate Pathology Committee of the Mouse Models of Human Cancer Consortium. A 2-day Pathology Workshop was held at The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, in October 2001, in which study sets of 93 slides from 22 GEM models were provided to individual panel members. The comparison of mouse and human prostate anatomy and disease demonstrates significant differences and considerable similarities that bear on the interpretation of the origin and natural history of their diseases. The recommended classification of mouse prostate pathology is hierarchical, and includes developmental, inflammatory, benign proliferative, and neoplastic disorders. Among the neoplastic disorders, preinvasive, microinvasive, and poorly differentiated neoplasms received the most attention. Specific criteria were recommended and will be discussed. Transitions between neoplastic states were of particular concern. Preinvasive neoplasias of the mouse prostate were recognized as focal, atypical, and progressive lesions. These lesions were designated as mouse prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (mPIN). Some atypical lesions were identified in mouse models without evidence of progression to malignancy. The panel recommended that mPIN lesions not be given histological grades, but that mPIN be further classified as to the absence or presence of documented associated progression to invasive carcinoma. Criteria for recognizing microinvasion, for classification of invasive gland-forming adenocarcinomas, and for characterizing poorly differentiated tumors, including neuroendocrine carcinomas, were developed and are discussed. The uniform application of defined terminology is essential for correlating results between different laboratories and models. It is recommended that investigators use the Bar Harbor Classification system when characterizing new GEM models or when conducting experimental interventions that may alter the phenotype or natural history of lesion progression in existing models.

Animals↗

Genomic organization, chromosome location, and expression analysis of mouse beta-synuclein, a candidate for involvement in neurodegeneration.

The synuclein family of proteins is a group of primarily brain-expressed polypeptides that show a high degree of amino acid conservation. alpha-Synuclein is the best known of the synuclein family, as it is a major component of the Lewy body, a cytoplasmic inclusion characteristic of Parkinson's disease as well as a variety of related neurodegenerative disorders. With the discovery that mutations in alpha-synuclein can cause Parkinson's disease, a potential role for the other synuclein family members in neurodegenerative disease is being considered. beta-Synuclein in particular may deserve special attention, as it is co-expressed with alpha-synuclein at presynaptic nerve terminals, is subject to phosphorylation by Ca(2+) calmodulin protein kinase II, appears important for neural plasticity, and forms aggregates in the brains of patients with Parkinson's disease and a related disorder. To facilitate study of beta-synuclein, we have cloned the mouse beta-synuclein gene (Sncb) and determined its genomic organization, size, and intron-exon structure. Using an interspecific backcross mapping panel from The Jackson Laboratory, we were then able to localize Sncb to chromosome 13 at the MGD 35.0 cM position. Like the human beta-synuclein gene, Sncb appears to consist of six exons separated by five introns. Unlike the human beta-synuclein gene, the mouse ortholog possesses a variant GC 5' splice donor sequence at the exon 4 - intron 4 boundary in a highly conserved splice junction consensus. Northern blot analysis and Western blot analysis both indicate that Sncb is highly expressed in the brain. Knowledge of the genomic organization and expression pattern of Sncb will allow functional studies of its potential role in neurodegeneration to commence in the mouse.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Root development in mice lacking functional tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase gene: inhibition of acellular cementum formation.

Tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase (TNAP) is richly present in developing teeth including the cells of the periodontal ligament. Here, we investigated tooth and root development in mice lacking the TNAP gene. Heterozygous mutants were obtained from The Jackson Laboratory, Animal Resources (Bar Harbor, ME, USA) and bred. TNAP-deficient mice and their littermates were killed from 6 to 25 days after birth and their molar blocks processed for light and electron microscopy. It was observed that the eruption of the incisors into the oral cavity was delayed for 2 to 3 days. Also, the onset of mineralization of the mantle dentin in the roots of the developing molars was delayed for 2 to 3 days. Yet, dentin and enamel formation in the homozygous mutants showed a more or less normal pattern, with the exception of localized enamel hypoplasias. The most conspicuous finding was the defective formation of acellular cementum along the molar roots. Instead of a continuous layer, the cementum was deposited as very thin and irregularly shaped patches around the bases of the periodontal ligament fibers. Sharpey's fibers were short and poorly developed. In contrast, the development of the alveolar bone, the periodontal ligament, and the cellular cementum was seemingly unaffected. It is concluded that TNAP represents an essential factor in mantle dentin mineralization and in the formation of acellular cementum.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

A rare complex DNA rearrangement in the murine Steel gene results in exon duplication and a lethal phenotype.

Kit ligand (Kitl), encoded by the Steel (Sl) locus, plays an essential role in hematopoiesis, gametogenesis, and melanogenesis during both embryonic and adult life. We have characterized a new spontaneous mutant of the Sl locus in mice designated KitlSl-20J that arose in the breeding colony at Jackson Laboratories. Heterozygous KitlSl-20J mice display a white belly spot and intercrossing results in an embryonic lethal phenotype in the homozygous state. Analysis of homozygous embryos demonstrated a significant reduction in fetal liver cellularity, colony forming unit-erythroid (CFU-E) progenitors, and a total absence of germ cells. Although expressed in vivo, recombinant mutant protein demonstrated loss of bioactivity that was correlated with lack of receptor binding. Analysis of the Sl gene transcripts in heterozygous KitlSl-20J mice revealed an in-frame tandem duplication of exon 3. A long-range polymerase chain reaction (PCR) strategy using overlapping primers in exon 3 amplified an approximately 7-kilobase (kb) product from DNA isolated from heterozygous KitlSl-20J mice but not from wild-type DNA that contained sequences from both introns 2 and 3 and an inverted intron 2 sequence, suggesting a complex rearrangement as the mechanism of the mutation. "Complexity analysis" of the sequence of the amplified product strongly suggests that local DNA motifs may have contributed to the generation of this spontaneous KitlSl-20J allele, likely mediated by a 2-step process. The KitlSl-20J mutation is a unique KitlSl allele and represents an unusual mechanism of mutation.

Animals↗

Mice and more.

A report on the Mouse Initiatives V meeting 'Genomics of Complex Systems in Biomedical Research', The Jackson Laboratory, Bar Harbor, USA, 30 July-2 August 2003.

Animals↗

[Senescence-accelerated mouse (SAM): with special reference to age-associated pathologies and their modulation].

The senescence-accelerated mouse (SAM) has been under development by our research team at Kyoto University since 1970 through selective inbreeding of the AKR/J strain of mice donated by the Jackson Laboratory in 1968, based on the data of the grading score of senescence, life span, and pathologic phenotypes. At present, there are 12 lines of SAM; the 9 senescence-prone inbred strains (SAMP) include SAMP1, SAMP2, SAMP3, SAMP6, SAMP7, SAMP8, SAMP9, SAMP10 and SAMP11, and the 3 senescence-resistant inbred strains (SAMR) SAMR1, SANR4 and SAMR5. Data from survival curves, the Gompertzian function and the grading score of senescence, together with growth patterns of body weight of these SAMP and SAMR mice revealed that the characteristic feature of aging common to all SAMP mice is "accelerated senescence": early onset and irreversible advance of senescence manifested by several signs and gross lesions such as the loss of normal behavior, various skin lesions, increased lordokyphosis, etc., after a period of normal development. Routine postmortem examinations and the pathobiological features revealed by systematically designed studies have shown several pathologic phenotypes, which are often characteristic enough to differentiate among the various SAM strains: senile amyloidosis in SAMP1, -P2, -P7, -P9, -P10 and -P11, secondary amyloidosis in SAMP2 and -P6, contracted kidney in SAMP1, -P2, -P10, -P11, immunoblastic lymphoma in SAMR1 and -R4, histiocytic sarcoma in SAMR1 and -R4, ovarian cysts in SAMR1, impaired immune response in SAMP1, -P2 and -P8, hyperinflation of the lungs in SAMP1, hearing impairment in SAMP1, degenerative temporomandibular joint disease in SAMP3, senile osteoporosis in SAMP6, deficits in learning and memory in SAMP8 and -P10, emotional disorders in SAMP8 and -P10, cataracts in SAMP9, and brain atrophy in SAMP10. These are all age-associated pathologies, the incidence and severity of which increase with advancing age. The SAM model in which these pathobiological features have been carefully monitored will be a valuable tool for the clarification of the pathogenic mechanisms of age-associated pathologies and in research for effective methods to modulate or ameliorate these pathologies.

Aging↗

Physiologic and endocrinologic characterization of male sex-biased diabetes in C57BLKS/J mice congenic for the fat mutation at the carboxypeptidease E locus.

The fat gene in mice represents a recessive mutation at the carboxypeptidase E (Cpe) locus. The mutant allele (Cpe(fat)) encodes a highly unstable enzyme and produces an obesity phenotype characterized by attenuated processing of prohormones such as proinsulin that require this exopeptidase for full maturation. This article presents a preliminary physiologic and endocrinologic characterization of the stock of C57BLKS/LtJ-Cpe(fat)/Cpe(fat) mice at the backcross generation (N10) currently distributed by The Jackson Laboratory. Although previously reported not to be diabetogenic at N5, an additional five backcrosses to the C57BLKS/J background resulted in a male-biased development of both obesity and diabetes. Major differences distinguishing this mutant stock from the phenotypes produced by either the diabetes (Lepr(db)) or obese (Lep(ob)) mutations on the same inbred strain background are lack of hyperphagia and hypercorticism, sensitivity of diabetic males to exogenous insulin, and a milder and male-biased diabetes syndrome that is not associated with widespread beta-cell necrosis and islet atrophy, and that often remits with age.

Animals↗

Vaginal septa in mice: incidence, inheritance, and effect on reproductive, performance.

Dorso-ventral vaginal septa were observed in 38% of the recently weaned BALB/cJ female mice in the production colony at The Jackson Laboratory. The frequency of septa in two other BALB/c substrains and eight different inbred strains ranged from 0 to 8%. The vaginal anomaly was similar regardless of genetic background although individual variations were observed. The remainder of the reproductive tract was normal. Microscopically, the septum consisted of a fibrous partition covered by normal epithelium. Genetic analysis was undertaken by outcrossing septate BALB/cJ females to C57BL/6J, DBA/2J, or BALB/cBy males. Examination of female F1 and F2 progeny indicated more than one recessive gene was involved and genetic background influenced expression of these genes. Reproductive performance of septate and nonseptate BALB/cJ females was compared using several criteria. Fewer septate females were fertile, but the fecundity of fertile septate females was not affected.

Animals↗

An embryonal carcinoma multiple phenotype locus maps to the proximal position of the mouse X chromosome.

A mutant embryonal carcinoma cell line, NR1-6, was established subsequent to retroviral insertion. The insertion was shown to be causative for a number of aberrant properties associated with the mutant cells. Analysis of >17 kb of the insertion site flanking region failed to reveal any homology between this locus and any reported sequence with the exception of one EST of unknown function and a few repetitive elements including B1 element and a CA dinucleotide repeat. CA repeats occur commonly in the mouse genome and usually show size variation. In this study, we mapped this multiphenotype locus using CA repeat polymorphism and Jackson Laboratory's interspecific backcross panels. The locus maps to the proximal end of the X chromosome between MGI offsets 1.5 and 4.5 and has been designated DXUalb1. There are several interesting candidate genes within this region. Analyses of their expression pattern may lead us to a better understanding of the molecular regulation of the variant mutant phenotypes.

Animals↗

Unique design for fixed ventilated changing station.

The Jackson Laboratory animal colonies present a unique challenge for the design and operation of an animal changing station that maximizes protection of animal health and welfare while also protecting the health and safety of the animal caretaker. The authors describe the modification of a fixed ventilated changing station for improved animal health, reduced ergonomic strain, and decreased allergen exposure.

Allergens↗