Effects of mutant steel alleles on leukemogenesis and life-span in the mouse.
Mutant alleles at the steel locus produce the pleiotropic effects of congenital anemia, sterility, and lack of hair pigmentation. Strain (WC/Re X C57BL/6)F1 Sl/Sld mice lived only half as long as heterozygotes and homozygous normal controls, differing only at the steel locus. Lymphocytic leukemia developed spontaneously in 37% of mice of the Sl/Sld genotype at an average age of 370 +/- 25 days and in 5% of heterozygotes and homozygous normal controls at 965 +/- 41 days. Severe ulcerative dermatitis occurred in 56% of Sl/Sld mice at an average age o4f 441 +/- 21 days and in 20% of heterozygotes and homozygous normal controls at 722 +/- 50 days. The mutant steel alleles provided an opportunity for study of the role of chronic anemia in life shortening and of a mechanism of gene action in spontaneous leukemogenesis.
D000483:Alleles; D000748:Anemia, Macrocytic / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D003872:Dermatitis / Q000235:genetics / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006579:Heterozygote; D006720:Homozygote; D007942:Leukemia, Experimental / Q000235:genetics; D007945:Leukemia, Lymphoid / Q000235:genetics*; D016403:Lymphoma, Large B-Cell, Diffuse / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009154:Mutation