Liver aldehyde oxidase and xanthine oxidase genetics in the mouse

A 'null' activity variant for the major liver isozyme of aldehyde oxidase (AOX-1) in adult male mice and an electrophoretically distinct, high activity variant of the second liver isozyme (AOX-2) were used to examine the segregation of the genetic loci encoding these enzymes (Aox-1 and Aox-2 respectively) in breeding studies. A single recombinant between these loci was observed among the 147 backcross progeny examined, which confirms a previous report (Holmes, 1979) for close linkage and genetic distinctness of the two loci. An activity variant for mouse liver xanthine oxidase (XOX) is also reported which behaved as though controlled by codominant alleles at a single locus (designated Xox-1). Genetic analyses showed that the Xox-1 locus segregated independently of the multiple-Aox loci.