Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026

09:37
A Phenotyping Regimen for Genetically Modified Mice Used to Study Genes Implicated in Human Diseases of Aging
Published on: July 14, 2016
Inheritance of acetylator phenotype in mice
Summary
This study characterizes acetylator traits in a new mouse model. Two codominant alleles control blood acetylation, while in vivo acetylation shows incomplete dominance.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacogenetics
- Genetics
- Biochemistry
Background:
- The human isoniazid acetylator polymorphism influences drug metabolism.
- Mouse models are crucial for understanding human genetic variations.
- Acetylator enzyme activity varies significantly between A/J and C57BL/6J mouse strains.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize the inheritance of two acetylator traits in a novel mouse model.
- To investigate the genetic basis of the human isoniazid acetylator polymorphism.
- To determine the relationship between blood and in vivo acetylation rates.
Main Methods:
- Cross-breeding A/J and C57BL/6J mice to produce F1, F2, and backcross generations.
- Measuring blood p-aminobenzoic acid N-acetyltransferase activity.
- Analyzing urinary ratios of acetylsulfamethazine to sulfamethazine to assess in vivo acetylation.
Main Results:
- Blood acetylation trait inheritance follows simple Mendelian genetics with two codominant alleles.
- In vivo acetylation rate, measured by urinary ratio, is independent of the blood acetylator polymorphism.
- In vivo acetylation inheritance exhibits incomplete dominance, with low urinary ratio dominant over high.
Conclusions:
- The mouse model successfully recapitulates human isoniazid acetylator polymorphism inheritance patterns.
- Blood and in vivo acetylation are genetically distinct traits.
- Understanding these genetic variations is key for personalized medicine and drug efficacy.
Related Concept Videos
Epistasis
In addition to multiple alleles at the same locus influencing traits, numerous genes or alleles at different locations may interact and influence phenotypes in a phenomenon called epistasis. For example, rabbit fur can be black or brown depending on whether the animal is homozygous dominant or heterozygous at a TYRP1 locus. However, if the rabbit is also homozygous recessive at a locus on the tyrosinase gene (TYR), it will have an unshaded coat that appears white, regardless of its TYRP1...
Lethal Alleles
Agouti: A Lethal Allele
Lucien Cuénot discovered lethal alleles in 1905 while studying the inheritance of coat color in mice. The agouti gene is responsible for the color of the coat in mice. This gene codes for an agouti-signaling protein, which is responsible for melanin distribution in mammals. The wild-type allele gives rise to gray-brown coat color in mice, while the mutant allele gives rise to yellow coat color. In addition to coat color, the agouti gene is associated with the yellow...
Lucien Cuénot discovered lethal alleles in 1905 while studying the inheritance of coat color in mice. The agouti gene is responsible for the color of the coat in mice. This gene codes for an agouti-signaling protein, which is responsible for melanin distribution in mammals. The wild-type allele gives rise to gray-brown coat color in mice, while the mutant allele gives rise to yellow coat color. In addition to coat color, the agouti gene is associated with the yellow...

