title: Locus on chromosome 16 is significantly associated with increased tendency to lose pups in females of the RR/Sgn inbred mouse strain.
abstract: Females of the inbred mouse strain RR/Sgn have an apparent tendency to lose pups during rearing. To identify genes underlying this abnormal maternal phenotype, we performed quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping in 349 (C57BL/6 J × RR/Sgn) F1× RR/Sgn backcross mice and identified one significant and one suggestive QTL on chromosomes 16 and 4, respectively. We assigned the gene symbol nurturing ability QTL 3 (Naq3) to the QTL on chromosome 16. Twenty of the 21 mothers who lost entire litters were homozygous for RR/Sgn allele at Naq3; i.e., the significant association of Naq3 with pup loss was further confirmed by binomial tests. We tentatively propose that Mapk1, Kalrn, and Vps8 are potential candidate genes for Naq3.
authors.affiliation: Animal Bioregulation Unit, Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Division of Animal Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Tsukuba, Japan.
authors.forename: Jun-Ichi
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Suto
mesh_terms: D000022:Abortion, Spontaneous / Q000235:genetics*; D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D002885:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 16 / Q000235:genetics*; D020964:Embryo Loss / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009035:Mothers; D010641:Phenotype; D040641:Quantitative Trait Loci
keywords: abnormal maternal phenotype; quantitative trait loci mapping; tendency to lose pups