title: Ath-2, a second gene determining atherosclerosis susceptibility and high density lipoprotein levels in mice.
abstract: Strain C57BL/6J and A/J differ at two genes determining atherosclerosis susceptibility. The first gene, Ath-1, was described earlier and this report characterizes Ath-2. The alleles at Ath-2 are r for resistance and s for susceptibility to atherosclerosis. The resistant phenotype in female mice is characterized by high plasma high density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels (74 mg/dl +/- SEM 2) and very few lesions/mouse after 14 weeks of consumption of an atherogenic diet (0.1 +/- SEM 0.1 in a predetermined region of the aorta). The susceptible phenotype in female mice is characterized by low levels of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (35 mg/dl +/- SEM 1) and 1.2 lesions/mouse +/- SEM 0.2 in the same region of the aorta. In Ath-2 heterozygotes, resistance is dominant to susceptibility. Recombinant inbred strains derived from C57BL/6 and A were characterized for Apoa 1, Apoa 2 and susceptibility to atherosclerosis. Ath-1 and Ath-2 interact with each other so that resistant alleles at either locus confer a resistant phenotype to the animal. The map position of Ath-2 is not known, but Ath-2 does not map near genes determining the apolipoproteins for A-I, A-II, or E.
authors.affiliation: Children's Hospital Oakland Research Institute, Children's Hospital Medical Center, Oakland 94609.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Paigen
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Nesbitt
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Albee
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: LeBoeuf
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D016633:Apolipoprotein A-II; D001054:Apolipoproteins A / Q000235:genetics; D001161:Arteriosclerosis / Q000235:genetics*; D004198:Disease Susceptibility; D005260:Female; D005796:Genes; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D006579:Heterozygote; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D016633:Apolipoprotein A-II; D001054:Apolipoproteins A; D008075:Lipoproteins, HDL