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Maternal effects on mouse brain weight.

D Wahlsten

    Brain Research
    |August 1, 1983
    PubMed
    Summary
    This summary is machine-generated.

    BALB mice exhibit heavier adult brains due to both genetic and maternal environmental factors. Maternal environment significantly influences offspring brain weight, independent of cytoplasmic or sex chromosomal effects.

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    Area of Science:

    • Genetics
    • Developmental Biology
    • Neuroscience

    Background:

    • Inbred mouse strains are crucial models for studying genetic and environmental influences on complex traits.
    • Brain weight is a key indicator of brain development and can be influenced by various genetic and environmental factors.
    • Understanding the interplay between genetics and maternal environment is essential for comprehending trait variation.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To investigate the genetic and maternal environmental contributions to adult brain weight differences in mice.
    • To determine if maternal environment, cytoplasmic inheritance, or sex chromosomes influence brain weight.
    • To compare brain weights between BALB/cCF mice and other inbred strains.

    Main Methods:

    • Reciprocal crosses between BALB/cCF mice and four other inbred strains.

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  • Reciprocal backcrosses to BALB mice to isolate maternal environmental effects.
  • Measurement of adult brain weights in hybrid and backcross offspring.

    • Main Results:

    • Hybrid offspring with a BALB mother had adult brains averaging 21.0 mg heavier than those with a BALB father.
    • Reciprocal backcrosses confirmed the BALB maternal environment significantly impacts brain weight, independent of cytoplasmic or sex chromosomal factors.
    • Offspring with an F1 hybrid mother had adult brains averaging 9.0 mg heavier than those with a BALB mother, indicating a maternal effect.

    Conclusions:

    • BALB mice possess heavier brains compared to several other inbred strains, influenced by both chromosomal factors and their unique maternal environment.
    • The maternal environment plays a significant role in determining offspring brain weight, often acting as a hereditary component.
    • Maternal effects on brain weight are demonstrable and can be modulated by the maternal genetic background.