Genetic susceptibility to infectious disease: lessons from mouse models of leishmaniasis.
Susceptibility to infectious disease is influenced by multiple host genes, most of which are low penetrance QTLs that are difficult to map in humans. Leishmaniasis is a well-studied infectious disease with a variety of symptoms and well-defined immunological features. Mouse models of this disease have revealed more than 20 QTLs as being susceptibility genes, studies of which have made important contributions to our understanding of the host response to infection. The functional effects of individual QTLs differ widely, indicating a networked regulation of these effects. Several of these QTLs probably also influence susceptibility to other infections, indicating that their characterization will contribute to our understanding of susceptibility to infectious disease in general.
Institute of Molecular Genetics, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Fleming. nám. 2, 166 37 Prague, Czech Republic. lipoldova@img.cas.cz
Marie
M
Lipoldová
Peter
P
Demant
D000818:Animals; D003141:Communicable Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007891:Leishmania / Q000472:pathogenicity; D007896:Leishmaniasis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology / Q000469:parasitology; D051379:Mice; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci