C3Wf.Cg-Hmga2^pg/BmJ

Stock number: 000233
Product name: pygmy
Research areas: Developmental Biology Research, Endocrine Deficiency Research

Detailed description

Mice homozygous for the pygmy mutation (Hmga2^pg) are recognizably smaller at birth, growth rate is slow, and adults weigh about one-third as much as normal mice. They are healthy and active; some are sterile, but fertility may be almost normal on genetic backgrounds favoring large size. Pituitary, thyroid, and adrenals appear normal; Normal somatomedin activity; Normal serum levels of GH and PRL, but below normal concentrations in the pituitary; Unresponsive to administration of growth hormone.

Development

Pigmy (Hmga2^pg) arose spontaneously in a stock of mice being selected for small size. In 1944 J.W. MacArthur described his experiment in which he interbred seven stocks and strains to generate a large F2 outbred stock, which was then subjected to selection based on body size. The seven stocks and strains were DBA and a silver chocolate stock from The Jackson Laboratory, black and tan (a^t) and pink-eyed/short-eared/dilute brown (p se d b a) from the University of Michigan, and MacArthur's own albino, cinnamon spotted, and agouti strains (J.W. MacArthur, 1944). Pygmy was imported to The Jackson Laboratory from Dr. George Wolf at the National Center for Toxocology Research, Jefferson AR. In 1979 the strain designation was C3H/HeNIcrWf-pg. It was maintained by using tested matings and was at generation N20F4 in 1980. It was cryopreserved in 1982, when that strain had reached generation N21F13, by mating tested males (pg/+) to untested (+/?) females.

Allele

Symbol: Hmga2^pg
Name: pygmy
MGI accession ID: MGI:1856426
Generation method: Spontaneous
Marker symbol: Hmga2
Marker name: high mobility group AT-hook 2
Chromosome: 10
Strain of origin: MacArthur's small stock
Molecular note: The mutant allele comprises a small deletion including 5' sequences and the first two exons of the Hmga2 gene. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that no detectable transcript is expressed from this allele.