Esterase alleles of inbred mouse strains maintained in The Netherlands

Abstract

Fifty-seven mouse strains were examined for genetic variation at 21 esterase loci. Three new alleles were found: Es-6 d in strain A/WySna, Es-ll e in FTC/CpbU and Es-18 c in two WLL/BrA sublines. At most loci there was a single allele found in over 80 % of strains, with one or two rare alleles. However, the Es-1, 3, 10, 13, 25 and 27 loci were much more polymorphic. Although several loci were linked on chomosomes 3, 8 and 9, linkage disequilibrium was only found between Es-5 and Es-11 (chromosome 8) and Es-26 and Es-27 (chromosome 3). There was also significant disequilibrium between Es-1 and 3, Es-1 and 10, and Es-3 and 10, which are on different chromosomes, suggesting that the 57 strains are not a random sample of inbred mouse strains. Fifty-four strains were closely related, with the Es-7", -17", -18", -23 C set of alleles, which are typical of Mus musculus domesticus. The three exceptional strains were MOL3 (Mus musculus molossinus), WLL/BrA (English-Norwegian origin) and TA2 (Chinese origin). There were 10 groups of strains which were identical at all loci. Sublines of the same strain were usually identical. Sometimes more distantly related strains, such as CBA/Bi, C3H/He, SM and DBA/Li, were identical, and in a few cases strains with no known common ancestry such as C58 and MAS were identical. Attempts to discriminate between a subset of 22 American and 15 European strains were unsuccessful, suggesting that the European strains add only in a quantitative manner to the gene pool of 'laboratory mice', whereas wild-derived strains such as MOL3 are genetically quite distinct from other laboratory mice.

Biochemical and genetic characterization of esterase-27 (ES-27), the major plasma cholinesterase of the house mouse (Mus musculus)

“…ES-27 is characterized by a cascade of seven bands seen after disc electrophoresis of serum and subsequent staining for esterase. Four phenotypes were distinguished: ES-27A occurs in A/WySnA and in 57 other laboratory strains or substrains including those reported previously (Hilgers et al 1988). ES-27B occurs in AKR/Han and in eight other laboratory strains reported previously (Hilgers et al 1988).…”

“…Four phenotypes were distinguished: ES-27A occurs in A/WySnA and in 57 other laboratory strains or substrains including those reported previously (Hilgers et al 1988). ES-27B occurs in AKR/Han and in eight other laboratory strains reported previously (Hilgers et al 1988). ES-27C is reserved for the phenotype occurring in IS/Cam.…”

“…By typing the esterases of inbred laboratory strains kept in The Netherlands we found eight heat-sensitive forms of cholinesterase among 57 strains (Hilgers et al 1988). Further studies revealed that the cholinesterase pattern in mouse serum was more complex than initially believed.…”

“…When only two forms of the cholinesterase were distinguished the designations S (heatsensitive) and R (heat-resistant) were used (Bonhomme & Selander, 1978). These designations were maintained even after the enzyme designation EST-A was replaced by ES-27 (Hilgers et al 1988). By anticipating more detailed results (see below) at least one heat-sensitive and three heat-resistant forms are distinguished by now.…”

“…Two classes of progeny were distinguished, ES-27B and ES-27AB, at a ratio of 29:17 (Table 4). It was concluded that ES-27A and ES-27B are inherited as allelic products at a single autosomal locus designated Es-27, with the alles ES-27" (originally termed Es-27 r , heat resistant; Hilgers et al 1988) in A/WySnA and Es-27" (originally termed Es-27 S , heat sensitive) in AKR/Han. Similar results were obtained from a second backcross, (AKR/Han x SEG/1) F x x AKR/Han (Table 5).…”