Plant & Animal Genome IX Conference

Workshop: Animal Comparative
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MAPPING AND CHARACTERIZING GENES AND QTL CONTROLLING REPRODUCTION IN MICE

Section of Neurobiology, Physiology and Behavior, University of California at Davis, Davis, CA 95616

The laboratory mouse provides powerful comparative genetic tools to map, characterize and identify genes controlling mammalian reproductive function. Strains of mice differ in many reproductive traits including: litter size; ovulation rate; ovulation rate-induced; aromatase activity-induced; embryo survival; testicular size; testicular steroidogenesis; and, susceptibility to the uterotrophic and endocrine disrupting effects of estrogens. Several of these traits segregate as though controlled by the action of a small number of loci with major effects. Several QTL controlling related reproductive traits map to overlapping chromosomal regions and are syntenic with reproductive QTL mapped in other mammalian species. Suggestive or significant Ovulation Rate Induced QTL (Oriq) map to mouse chromosomes (Chr) 2; 6; 9, 10 and X (Spearow et. al., 1999. Biol. Reprod. 61:857). Aromatase Activity, Induced (AAI) QTL map to Chr 2 and 4. Litter size QTL also map to overlapping regions of Chr 2, 4 and 9 (Kirkpatrick, et. al., 1998. Mam. Genome 9:97). Uterotrophic response to estrogen QTL map to Chr 5, and 11 while an interacting uterine leukocyte response and wet weight QTL maps to Chr 10 (Roper et. al., 1999. Endo. 140:556). To eliminate genetic noise and enable high-resolution QTL mapping, A.B6 reproductive congenic mouse strains were developed and used to confirm and higher-resolution map ORI and/or AAI QTL to Chr 2 proximal, 2 central, 4, 6, and X. These genetically defined mouse models along with rapidly developing mouse genetic and physical maps, genomic sequence, and bioinformatic tools enhance the mapping, cloning and characterization of genes controlling mammalian reproductive function.