title: Genomics studies of immune-mediated diseases using the BN-LEW rat model.
abstract: LEW and BN rats, that behave in opposite ways for their susceptibility to various immune-mediated diseases, provide a powerful model to investigate the molecular and genetic bases of immune system physiology and dysregulation. Using this model, we addressed the question of the genetic control of central nervous system autoimmunity, of xenobiotic-induced allergic diseases, and of T cell subsets that differ by their cytokine profiles. By linkage analysis and genetic dissection, using a panel of congenic rats, we identified a 120 Kb region on chromosome 9 that controls all these phenotypes, indicating that this region contains a gene or set of genes that plays an important role in the immune system homeostasis and susceptibility to immune mediated diseases. In this review, we will describe these rat genomics studies and will discuss the cellular and genetic factors that may be involved in the differences between these rat strains.
authors.affiliation: Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U563, Institut Fédératif de Recherche (IFR) 30, Hôpital Purpan and Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Bernard
authors.forename: Gilbert J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Fournié
authors.forename: Abdelhadi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Saoudi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D023281:Genomics / Q000379:methods*; D006967:Hypersensitivity / Q000235:genetics; D007154:Immune System Diseases / Q000235:genetics*; D020721:Nervous System Autoimmune Disease, Experimental / Q000235:genetics; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism