Mouse phenome research: implications of genetic background.

Area of Science:

• Genetics
• Genomics
• Evolutionary Biology

Background:

• Mouse genome sequencing is complete, necessitating phenotypic analysis for gene function elucidation.
• Genetic background, defined by interacting genes, significantly influences phenotypic expression.
• Understanding the evolutionary history of laboratory mice is key to interpreting genetic background effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the origin and evolutionary history of laboratory mouse genomes.
• To assess the impact of genetic background on phenotypic analysis of gene function.
• To evaluate the utility of different mouse strain types for genetic research.

Main Methods:

• Molecular analysis of mouse genome origins.
• Comparison of inbred and wild-derived mouse strain characteristics.
• Review of strategies for creating transgenic and targeted mutant mice.

Main Results:

• Laboratory mice originated from European (domesticus) and Asian (musculus) subspecies, including Japanese fancy mice.
• Inbred mouse strains provide genetic uniformity for Mendelian trait analysis but have limited polymorphism.
• Wild-derived strains offer novel allelic variants and phenotypes, complementing common inbred strains.

Conclusions:

• Genetic background significantly impacts gene function studies, necessitating careful strain selection.
• Inbred strains are valuable but have limitations; wild-derived strains offer complementary genetic diversity.
• Future gene function research can benefit from the unique genetic characteristics of wild-derived mouse strains.