Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2026
Behavioral and Locomotor Measurements Using an Open Field Activity Monitoring System for Skeletal Muscle Diseases
Published on: September 29, 2014
Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis of longevity in C57BL/6J by DBA/2J (BXD) recombinant inbred mice
Dean H Lang1, Glenn S Gerhard, James W Griffith
1The Biomechanics Laboratory, Department of Kinesiology, College of Health and Human Development, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA. tcl133@psu.edu
Background And Aims:
Genes associated with longevity have been identified using both single gene and genome-wide approaches in a variety of species. The aim of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) that influence longevity in male and female mice from twenty-three C57BL/6J by DBA/2J (BXD) recombinant inbred (RI) strains.
Methods:
Approximately 12 animals of each sex for each RI strain were maintained under standard conditions until natural death or moribundity criteria were met.
Results:
A number of life span-relevant loci previously reported on chromosomes (Chrs) 7, 8, 10 and 11 were confirmed. In addition, 5 previously unreported QTLs for mouse life span on Chrs 1, 2, 6, 11, and X were identified as significant and 3 QTLs on Chrs 5, 8, and 16 were suggestive.
Conclusions:
Several QTLs were coincident in males and females although the modest correlation between male and female median lifespans and the identification of sex specific QTLs provide evidence that the genetic architecture underlying longevity in the sexes may differ substantially. The identification of multiple QTLs for longevity will provide valuable resources for both reductionist and integrationist research into mechanisms of life span determination.
