Tracheal mucociliary transport in laboratory mice: evidence for genetic polymorphism

Mean tracheal transport velocities of inhaled 3 mu coumarin-bound monodisperse latex spheres, measured by epi-fluorescence through the intact trachea of anesthetized mice, were 2.29 +/- 0.52 mm/min for C57BL/6J, 0.40 +/- 0.42 mm/min for DBA/2J mice and 1.47 +/- 0.87 mm/min for (C57BL/6J X DBA/2J) F1 mice. A nonparametric analysis of the observed proportions of mice expressing parental phenotypes in second filial, two first backcross and one second backcross generations confirmed the polymorphism to be genetically determined and consistent with a single-locus mode of inheritance.