Mapping the dominant wound healing and soft tissue regeneration QTL in MRL x CAST

We have used a mouse ear punch model and the QTL (quantitative trait loci) mapping technique to identify genes that are responsible for soft tissue regeneration. In the early studies, we have identified several QTL and have shown that the inheritance of ear healing was additive in one cross (MRL x SJL), and recessive in another cross (DBA x 129). Because CAST mice are genetically distinct and have a different genetic background, CAST would facilitate the identification of common and novel QTL when crossed with common inbred lines. We made a cross between super healer MRL and poor healer CAST and collected ear punch phenotype and marker genotype data from F(2). Ear punch healing exhibited a dominant mode of inheritance in this cross. There were three main QTL on Chromosomes 4, 9, and 17, and two suggestive QTL on Chromosomes 1 (new) and 7. Taken together, these QTL accounted for about 29% of total F2 variance of MRL x CAST. Compared with another study using the same cross, we found a totally different set of QTL. Two QTL interactions were identified by a full QTL model: Chromosomes 4 x 17 and 9 x 17; the latter reached to a statistical level at p < 0.05. These interactions explained about 4% of the F2 phenotypic variance. We conclude that soft tissue regeneration is controlled by multiple genes and locus vs. locus interactions.