Genetic studies of a new mutant strain showing shivering in the mouse

A new mutant with shivering, Hula dance Sendai (tentatively named hus gene), was found in the IVCE strain. A congenic strain, C57BL/6JJcl- hus, was established by the cross-intercross method using IVCE- hus as the donor strain and C57BL/6JJcl as the recipient. No significant differences were observed in the age of the onset of shivering and life span between B6- hus and IVCE- hus mice. Genetic analyses demonstrated that this mutation is governed by an autosomal recessive gene ( Mbphus) and is an allele of the Mbpshi gene (Chr.18)

The genetics of abnormal abdomen, incomplete abdomen, and bobbed in Drosophila buzzatii

Five stocks of Drosophila buzzatii with superficially similar abdominal disruptions including partial tergite and sternite loss were isolated by inbreeding. Three of the stocks have indistinguishable phenotypes, the inheritance of which is maternally influenced. This phenotype and its mode of inheritance bear similarities with those of Abnormal abdomen in D. melanogaster. The phenotype in the fourth stock is slightly different and is due to a single autosomal recessive gene, which we denote incomplete abdomen. In the fifth stock the trait is limited to females, and in appearance and mode of inheritance resembles bobbed in D. melanogaster. Furthermore, only in this stock are rDNA deletions evident. The combined frequencies of the three types of abdominal aberration were found to be around 1% in several samples from wild and laboratory populations of D. buzzatii.Key words: Drosophila, abnormal abdomen, ribosomal DNA, selection.

Hereditary hepatitis of LEC rats is controlled by a single autosomal recessive gene

The natural history of hereditary hepatitis in long-survived LEC rats was reported. Among 56 (female: male, 28:28) LEC rats of F30, 16 (8:8) (29%) died of fulminant hepatitis approximately four months after birth. The remaining 40 (20:20) rats that survived more than one year developed chronic hepatitis and subsequent hepatic lesions including hepatocellular carcinomas. Further study made with 32 F31 rats killed at the age of five months revealed that hepatitis occurred in all of these rats. Genetic analysis performed by various crosses of LEC and LEJ rats confirmed the previous result that hereditary hepatitis was caused by a single autosomal recessive gene. F1 hybrid rats never developed hepatitis, showing normal histology of the liver. Histological features of hepatitis in F2 (F1×1) and backcross (F1×LEC) rats were the same as those observed in the LEC rats. The preneoplastic foci also appeared in some of these hybrid rats at the age of eight months. We propose a gene symbol hts to designate the present hepatitis which is assumed to be homozygous in LEC strain rats.

Inherited seborrheic dermatitis - a new mutant in mice

A new mutation, affecting skin and hair, occurred in an expansion colony of Him:OF1 mice. Test crosses showed that a single autosomal recessive gene was responsible for this trait. Homozygotes have sparse greasy fur and lower viability and fertility than normal littermates. Histological observations showed hypertrophy of sebaceous glands, hyperkeratosis, parakeratosis, acanthosis and signs of inflammation. The disease was named 'inherited seborrheic dermatitis' and the gene name seb is proposed.

Map position of dysgenetic lens (dyl) locus on chromosome 4 in the mouse

SummaryThe autosomal recessive gene, dysgenetic lens (dyl) in the mouse has been mapped on chromosome 4. Two- and three-point crosses involving b (brown) and Mup-1 (Major urinary protein-1) indicate the following gene order: dyl–b–Mup-1. The approximate distance between dyl and b is 12 and between dyl and Mup-1 is 20 cM.