Experimental Animals
Online ISSN : 1881-7122
Print ISSN : 1341-1357
ISSN-L : 0007-5124
Original
Genetic Analyses of Fancy Rat-Derived Mutations
Takashi KURAMOTOMayuko YOKOEKayoko YAGASAKITatsuya KAWAGUCHIKenta KUMAFUJITadao SERIKAWA
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JOURNAL FREE ACCESS

2010 Volume 59 Issue 2 Pages 147-155

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Abstract

To collect rat mutations and increase the value of the rat model system, we introduced fancy-derived mutations to the laboratory and carried out genetic analyses. Six fancy rats were shipped from a fancy rat colony in the USA and used as founders. After initial crosses with a laboratory strain, TM/Kyo or PVG/Seac, inbreeding started and 6 partially inbred lines, including 2 sublines, were produced as Kyoto Fancy Rat Stock (KFRS) strains. During inbreeding, we isolated 9 mutations: 5 coat colors, American mink (am), Black eye (Be), grey (g), Pearl (Pel), siamese (sia); 1 coat pattern, head spot (hs); 2 coat textures, Rex (Re), satin (sat); and an ear pinnae malformation, dumbo (dmbo). Genetic analyses mapped 7 mutations to particular regions of the rat chromosomes (Chr): am to Chr 1, sia to Chr 1, sat to Chr 3, Re to Chr 7, g to Chr 8, dmbo to Chr 14, and hs to Chr 15. Candidate gene analysis revealed that a missense mutation in the tyrosinase gene, Ser79Pro, was responsible for sia. From mutant phenotypes and mapping positions, it is likely that all mutations isolated in this study were unique to the fancy rat. These findings suggest that fancy rat colonies are a good source for collecting rat mutations. The fancy-derived mutations, made available to biomedical research in the current study, will increase the scientific value of laboratory rats.

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© 2010 Japanese Association for Laboratory Animal Science
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