High-resolution maps of the murine Chromosome 2 region containing the cholesterol gallstone locus, Lith1

The Lith1 region on Chromosome (Chr) 2 contains a gene that markedly affects the prevalence of cholesterol gallstones in inbred mice. We report the high-resolution genetic and radiation hybrid maps of the chromosomal region surrounding Lith1, using three resources: a DNA panel from 188 progeny from two reciprocal backcrosses between C57BL/6 and Mus spretus inbred strains; 423 progeny of an N4 generation from backcrossing the susceptible C57L/J alleles at Lith1 into the resistant AKR/J strain; and the newly developed hamster-mouse T31 radiation hybrid panel. We mapped 17 microsatellite markers in the D2Mit182 to D2Mit14 region and two candidate genes for Lith1, the canalicular bile salt export pump (Bsep) also known as sister of P-glycoprotein (Spgp) and the low-density-lipoprotein-receptor-related gene megalin (Gp330). Both genetic maps were in agreement and ordered the microsatellite markers into a 10.4 +/- 1.5 cM region. The high-resolution physical map revealed ordering of microsatellite markers and relative distances between markers in almost complete agreement with the genetic maps. Mapping of Bsep revealed its location on Chr 2, homologous to the human chromosomal position (Nature Genet 20, 233-238, 1998). The radiation hybrid results also provided the highest resolution of the area containing the two candidate genes, which both mapped in the Lith1 region with close linkage, being separated by a distance of only 15 cR(3000). The total radiation hybrid map length of the region between D2Mit182 and D2Mit14 was 326 cR(3000), suggesting that 31 cR(3000) is equivalent to 1 cM in this region of Chr 2.