Some C3H substrains are characterized by a high incidence of mammary tumors caused by a virus transmitted through the mother's milk. C3H substrains that originated from neonate mice foster nursed onto or ova transferred into virus-free females have dramatically lower mammary tumor incidence.
The Jackson Laboratory maintains four C3H substrains. Two of these, C3HeB/FeJ and C3H/HeSnJ, are free of milk-transmitted virus and have low mammary tumor incidence. The other two substrains, C3H/HeJ and C3H/OuJ, carry the milk-transmitted mammary tumor virus (MuMTV) and develop mammary tumors.
The substrains C3H/HeJ and C3H/OuJ have been separated since 1952. A mutation occurred in C3H/HeJ between 1960 and 1968 at the Lps (lipopolysaccharide response) locus such that C3H/HeJ is endotoxin resistant. An increased latency and reduced incidence in mammary tumors also has been reported in C3H/HeJ and may be related to the Lps mutation (Outzen, H.J., et al., JNCI 75:917, 1985).
We use cookies to personalize our website and to analyze web traffic to improve the user experience. You may decline these cookies although certain areas of the site may not function without them. Please refer to our privacy policy for more information.