Researchers have created genome-wide, high-resolution genetic maps of 100 inbred mouse strains. Compared with wild-derived strains, most of today's classical lab strains have limited genetic diversity and overwhelmingly originate from a single species of domestic mouse, the researchers report.
The findings resolve competing views on the origins and composition of laboratory mice. The paper, published online this week in linkurl:Nature Genetics,;http://www.nature.com/ng/ also unveils linkurl:an online tool;http://msub.csbio.unc.edu/ with which scientists can visualize detailed genetic data and phylogeny trees of inbred and wild-derived mouse strains to decide which strains are likely to be most useful in an experiment."It's a really nice paper. It sorts out the controversy of what the background of these animals really is," said linkurl:Elizabeth Fisher,;http://www.ucl.ac.uk/neuroscience/Page.php?ID=12&ResearcherID=43 a neuroscientist at University College London who was not involved in the research. As for the online tool, she adds, "I'm sure we'll all...
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linkurl:Wikimedia Commons;http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Fancy_mice.jpg |
Mus musculus domesticusM. m. domesticus,M. m. domesticusH. Yang, et al., "Subspecific origin and haplotype diversity in the laboratory mouse," Nat Genet, doi:10.1038/ng.84, 2011.
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