ENU诱变获得4种白斑小鼠及对突变基因的染色体定位

“表型驱动法”是通过诱变、定位及克隆突变基因来研究基因功能的一种手段. 以ENU处理C57BL/6J(B6)雄鼠150只, 繁殖后代小鼠3860只, 筛查到有突变表型的小鼠210只, 经传代实验得到能够遗传的突变鼠10余种, 其中4种为呈显性遗传的白斑突变, 它们是Wbct, W^−1Bao, W^−2Bao和W^−3Bao, 共同表现为腹部、四肢末端及尾部的局部白化. 为定位这些突变基因, 选择平均分布于小鼠基因组且在B6与DBA/2J(D2)间有差异的微卫星标记39个, 区分(B6×D2)×D2的F₂代有无白斑表型后, 用39个微卫星进行基因组扫描. 结果表明, W^−1Bao突变基因与D5Mit168的LOD值为0.56, 与D5Mit352的LOD值为4.47. 在此基础上, 逐步选择接近突变基因的微卫星D5Mit290, D5Mit312, D5Mit356及D5Mit308, 扩大F₂的数量至537只, 将W^−1Bao突变基因定位在第5号染色体D5Mit356及D5Mit308之间, 距着丝粒约42.19 cM; 同理, 将W^−2Bao及W^−3Bao突变基因也定位在与W^−1Bao相近的区域, Wbct突变基因定位于第1号染色体距着丝粒约41.6 cM处. 经过检索小鼠基因组数据库和对染色体局部基因的逐个分析, 认为kit基因为W^−1Bao, W^−2Bao及W^−3Bao白斑突变的候选基因.     

高通量筛选ENU诱变产生的遗传疾病小鼠模型

由于小鼠和人类基因组的高度同源, 修饰和改造小鼠基因组已经成为建立人类疾病模型和研究基因功能的最重要的手段. 通过C57BL/6J雄性小鼠的ENU化学诱变和子代的表型筛选的方法, 对G₁代3172只小鼠的形态学、行为学、神经功能、学习记忆、听力、视觉生理、骨代谢、血糖和心功能等一系列生理生化指标进行了高通量检测, 筛选出595只与人类疾病相关的显性基因突变个体, 其中毛色转换、眼疾和听力缺陷发生频率较高, 而代谢性异常的显性突变率较低, 提示血糖和心电等重要代谢功能的遗传调控稳定性高于外周神经系统功能. 小鼠单侧性眼疾存在明显的雌雄不均一性和左右不对称性. 骨密度异常与小鼠性别也有一定相关性. 在对104只G₁代突变小鼠和野生型小鼠交配的可遗传性检测中, 已有14只的异常表型被确认可以遗传, 其中行为学异常小鼠的可遗传性较低, 提示行为学异常可能和多基因突变相关. 这些突变小鼠品系的建立, 为疾病表型的发生和病理过程的细胞生物学及分子生物学机制研究、突变基因的染色体定位和克隆奠定了良好的基础.     

Generation of mutants with developmental defects in zebrafish by ENU mutagenesis

As a good model for studying early development of vertebrates, zebrafish (Danio rerio) is attracting more and more attention. Following ENU mutagenesis, 320 F2 families were established. Mutants, which showed defects in epiboly, axis, somite, head, and cardiac and blood systems, were identified by observing morphological changes in F3 embryos. So far, 35 mutant lines have been established, the majority of which showed anomalies in axis and somite formation. These mutant lines provide useful genetic resources for cloning of the mutant genes and for studying mechanisms of early development of vertebrate embryos.     

Large-scale screening of disease model through ENU mutagenesis in mice

Manipulation of mouse genome has merged as one of the most important approaches for studying gene function and establishing the disease model because of the high homology between human genome and mouse genome.In this study, the chemical mutagen ethylnitrosourea (ENU) was employed for inducing germ cell mutations in male C57BL/6J mice. The first generation (G1) of the backcross of these mutated mice, totally 3172, was screened for abnormal phenotypes on gross morphology, behavior, learning and memory, auditory brainstem response (ABR), electrocardiogram (ECG), electroretinogram (ERG), flash-visual evoked potential (F-VEP), bone mineral density, and blood sugar level. 595 mice have been identified with specific dominant abnormalities. Fur color changes, eye defects and hearing loss occurred at the highest frequency. Abnormalities related to metabolism alteration are least frequent. Interestingly, eye defects displayed significant left-right asymmetry and sex preference. Sex preference is also observed in mice with abnormal bone mineral density. Among 104 G1 generation mutant mice examined for inheritability, 14 of them have been confirmed for passing abnormal phenotypes to their progenies. However, we did not observe behavior abnormalities of G1 mice to be inheritable, suggesting multi-gene control for these complicated functions in mice. In conclusion,the generation of these mutants paves the way for understanding molecular and cellular mechanisms of these abnormal phenotypes, and accelerates the cloning of diseaserelated genes.     

Four kinds of ENU-induced white spot mice and chromosome locations of the mutant genes

After the accomplishment of the Human Genome Project, life sciences have entered a post-genome era to systematically study gene functions on a large scale[1]. Because of its similarity to humanity in genomic se-quences, biochemical metabolism and physiological mechanism, Mus musculus is the ideal model animal in the study of functional genome. As the publication of the draft map of mouse genome sequences in December 2002, studying gene functions by mouse enters a new stage[2]. So far, there …