Special Mouse Strains Resource

Recombinant inbred (RI) and chromosome substitution (CS) strain panels

Many common inherited human diseases — such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, autoimmune disease and cancer — are genetically complex, resulting from the interaction of more than one gene. Advances in genetic methods and the completed sequencing of the human and mouse genomes make it feasible to detect, genetically map and identify the genes underlying these complex disorders.

The SMSR is a resource of special strains of mice that are important tools for genetic analysis of such complex diseases. They include panels of recombinant inbred (RI) and chromosome substitution (CS) strains, also known as consomic strains.

The SMSR imports, cryopreserves and distributes RI and CS strain panels that are vital to discovery of quantitative trait loci (QTL) and ultimately genes responsible for complex diseases. QTL and genes identified by QTL analysis in mouse models often correlate with homologous regions in the human genome.  Thus, connecting phenotype and genotype in mice may translate into identification of genes responsible for human complex diseases such as atherosclerosis, diabetes, obesity, asthma, autoimmunity and hypertension.

Available strains

Recombinant inbred and chromosome substitution strain panels

Panel Name*

Type

Progenitor strains

AXB

RI

A/J

C57BL/6J

BXA

RI

C57BL/6J

A/J

BXD

RI

C57BL/6J

DBA/2J

BXH

RI

C57BL/6J

C3H/HeJ

CXB

RI

BALB/cBy

C57BL/6By

ILSxISS

RI

ILS/IbgTejJ

ISS/IbgTejJ

C57BL/6J-Chr#A/J/NaJ

CS

C57BL/6J

A/J

C57BL/6J-Chr#PWD/Ph/ForeJ

CS

C57BL/6J

PWD/Ph

 

Selected publications

Czechanski A, Byers C, Greenstein I, Schrode N, Donahue LR, Hadjantonakis A-K and Reinholdt LG. 2014. Derivation and characterization of mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs) from permissive and non-permissive strains. Nat Protoc 9(3):559-74. PMCID: PMC4112089

Donahue LR, Hrabe de Angelis M, Hagn M, Franklin C, Lloyd KCK, Magnuson T, McKerlie C, Nakagata N, Obata Y, Read S, Wurst W, Horlein A, Davisson MT. 2012. Centralized Mouse Repositories, Mammalian Genome 23(9-10):559-71. PMCID: PMC3709583.

 

Strain characterization

In addition to making these highly valuable RI and CS strains available to the scientific community, we are enhancing the value of these models through additional characterization and curation.  Examples are behavioral, reproductive, immunological, blood chemistries including lipids and electrolytes, and hematological studies in the C57BL/6J-Chr#A/NaJ and C57BL/6J-Chr#PWD/ForeJ consomic panels.  These data are available from the Mouse Phenome Database (MPD) website.

SNP variation data for RI strains and gene expression data for the ILSXISS RI set are also available at Mouse Phenome Database. MPD is a community resource whereby data are contributed by many different users and curated by the MPD staff at The Jackson Laboratory.

ES Cell Development

In a major new initiative to enhance the power of the C57BL/6J-Chr#A/NaJ CS set, we are developing a set of germline-competent, embryonic stem cell lines from the individual strains.  These ES cells will be useful for testing candidate genes in co-isogenic strain backgrounds, cellular phenotyping, and in vitro modeling of quantitative traits. Available lines.

How to cite this resource

The Special Mouse Strains Resource (SMSR) is supported by the National Institutes of Health, Office of Research Infrastructure Programs/Office of the Director (grant number OD011102). Please reference this grant in citations acknowledging use of the resource.

Faculty & Staff

Cathleen (Cat) Lutz, Ph.D., M.B.A.

Cathleen (Cat) Lutz, Ph.D., M.B.A.

Laura Reinholdt, Ph.D. Associate Professor

Laura Reinholdt, Ph.D.