title: Genetic association of mutation at agouti locus with adrenal x zone morphology in BALB/c mice.
abstract: The genetic association of the agouti (a) locus with mouse adrenal X zone morphology on a specific genetic background has been suggested. To confirm this, the adrenal cortices of virgin females were compared histologically between BALB/c (A/A) and its mutant, BALB/c-a/a (a/a). The X zone was similar in the number of constituting cell layers, but different in morphology between the A/A and a/a genotypes. At 70 days of age, it was constituted of vacuolated cells exclusively in A/A and of non-vacuolated and a few vacuolated cells in a/a. At 140 days of age, the X zones contained only vacuolated cells in both genotypes. Therefore, the a (non-agouti) allele might have 2 effects upon the X zone morphology on the BALB/c background; the a allele might suppress vacuolation and delay its onset. However, the zona reticularis seemed to have no association with this locus.
authors.affiliation: Animal Facility for Aging Research, National Institute for Longevity Sciences, 36-3 Gengo Morioka-cho, Obu Aichi 474-8522, Japan.
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Sachi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kuwahara
authors.forename: Kazutosi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishijima
authors.forename: Tamio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohno
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Matsuzawa
mesh_terms: D000302:Adrenal Cortex / Q000166:cytology*; D054366:Agouti Signaling Protein; D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation
chemical_list: D054366:Agouti Signaling Protein; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins