Linkage mapping of rat chromosome markers generated from chromosome-sorted DNA

Complete and overlapping congenics proving the existence of a quantitative trait locus for blood pressure on Dahl rat chromosome 17

Linkage studies suggested that a quantitative trait locus (QTL) for blood pressure (BP) was present in a region on chromosome 17 (Chr 17) of Dahl salt-sensitive (DSS) rats. A subsequent congenic strain targeting this QTL, however, could not confirm it. These conflicting results called into question the validity of localization of a QTL by linkage followed by the use of a congenic strain made with an incomplete chromosome coverage. To resolve this issue, we constructed five new congenic strains, designated C17S.L1 to C17S.L5, that completely spanned the +/-2 LOD confidence interval supposedly containing the QTL. Each congenic strain was made by replacing a segment of the DSS rat by that of the normotensive Lewis (LEW) rat. The only section to be LL homozygous is the region on Chr 17 specified in a congenic strain, as evidenced by a total genome scan. The results showed that BPs of C17S.L1 and C17S.L2 were lower (P < 0.04) than that of DSS rats. In contrast, BPs of C17S.L3, C17S.L4, and C17S.L5 were not different (P > 0.6) from that of DSS rats. Consequently, a BP QTL must be located in an interval of approximately 15 cM shared between C17S.L1 and C17S.L2 and unique to them both, as opposed to C17S.L3, C17S.L4, and C17S.L5. The present study illustrates the importance of thorough chromosome coverage, the necessity for a genome-wide screening, and the use of "negative" controls in physically mapping a QTL by congenic strains.

Congenic mapping of a blood pressure QTL on chromosome 16 of Dahl rats

A Chromosome (Chr) 16 segment of the Dahl salt-sensitive (S) rat was shown by linkage to contain a blood pressure (BP) quantitative trait locus (QTL). To verify and further narrow down the region harboring the QTL, we made two congenic strains by replacing two segments of the S rats with the homologous segments of the Lewis (LEW) rats. The construction of these congenic strains was facilitated by a genome-wide marker screening. The two congenic strains contained a segment in common, and BPs of both were significantly lower than that of the S strain. Consequently, a BP QTL could be localized to the overlapping region of about 49.4 centiRay (cR) including the telomere on a radiation hybrid map. Heart weights, left and right ventricular weights, kidney weights, and aortic weights over length were all significantly decreased in the congenic strains compared with the S strain. Thus, there appeared to exist an association between the effects of the QTL on BP and on cardiac, renal, and vascular hypertrophy.

Chromosomal and comparative mapping of rat oxytocin, oxytocin receptor and vasopressin genes

Oxytocin and its receptor are potentially important for cardiovascular functions. In the present paper, we report their chromosome locations in the rat and their comparative mapping with the mouse and human. They are located in chromosome regions previously known to contain quantitative trait loci for blood pressure in various genetic crosses. Thus, they have become valid candidate genes for genetic hypertension.

Genomic imbalance in rat mammary gland carcinomas induced by 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo(4,5-b)pyridine

2-Amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo(4,5-b)pyridine (PhIP), a compound found in cooked meat, is a mammary gland carcinogen in female Sprague-Dawley rats. PhIP-induced rat mammary gland carcinomas were examined for mutations in several genes (exons) known to regulate cell growth and apoptosis, including p53 (4-8), p21(Waf1) (coding region), Apc (14, 15), B-catenin (3), E-cadherin (9,13,15), Bcl-x (coding region), Bax (3), IGFIIR (28), and TGFBIIR (3). DNA from 30 carcinomas was examined by single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis, but no mutations were detected in these genes or gene regions. DNA from carcinomas and matching normal tissue were further screened for allelic imbalance by using a polymerase chain reaction-based approach with primers to known microsatellite regions located throughout the rat genome. Of 53 markers examined, 12 revealed allelic imbalance. Microsatellite instability (MSI) was detected at two markers, one on chromosome 4 and one on chromosome 6. Sixty-five percent and 96% of all carcinomas examined (N=23) showed MSI at these loci on chromosomes 4 and 6, respectively, supporting the notion that MSI plays a role in PhIP-induced mammary carcinogenesis. Loss of heterozygosity (LOH), an indication of a possible tumor suppressor gene, was observed at 10 markers distributed on chromosomes 3, 10, 11, 14, and X. The frequency of LOH at these markers was 75-94%, supporting that the regions of allelic imbalance were largely similar for the PhIP-induced carcinomas examined in this study. When PhIP-induced carcinomas from rats placed on high-fat and low-fat diet were compared, no unique regions of allelic imbalance or statistical differences in the frequency of allelic imbalance were observed. Therefore, the high-fat diet, known to be a promoter of PhIP-induced rat mammary carcinogenesis, did not appear to influence allelic imbalance in the carcinomas. Interestingly, 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]-anthracene-induced mammary carcinomas did not show allelic imbalance at 11 of the 12 loci that showed allelic imbalance in PhIP-induced carcinomas. These findings suggest that distinct chemical carcinogens induce different patterns of allelic imbalance during rat mammary carcinogenesis. Since several of the known genes involved in carcinogenesis did not harbor mutations in PhIP-induced carcinomas, further studies are needed to clarify the critical genes involved in PhIP-induced mammary carcinogenesis and to determine whether regions of LOH harbor potentially novel tumor suppressor genes involved in this disease.

Genetic analysis of inherited hypertension in the rat

Blood pressure is a quantitative trait that has a strong genetic component in humans and rats. Several selectively bred strains of rats with divergent blood pressures serve as an animal model for genetic dissection of the causes of inherited hypertension. The goal is to identify the genetic loci controlling blood pressure, i.e., the so-called quantitative trait loci (QTL). The theoretical basis for such genetic dissection and recent progress in understanding genetic hypertension are reviewed. The usual paradigm is to produce segregating populations derived from a hypertensive and normotensive strain and to seek linkage of blood pressure to genetic markers using recently developed statistical techniques for QTL analysis. This has yielded candidate QTL regions on almost every rat chromosome, and also some interactions between QTL have been defined. These statistically defined QTL regions are much too large to practice positional cloning to identify the genes involved. Most investigators are, therefore, fine mapping the QTL using congenic strains to substitute small segments of chromosome from one strain into another. Although impressive progress has been made, this process is slow due to the extensive breeding that is required. At this point, no blood pressure QTL have met stringent criteria for identification, but this should be an attainable goal given the recently developed genomic resources for the rat. Similar experiments are ongoing to look for genes that influence cardiac hypertrophy, stroke, and renal failure and that are independent of the genes for hypertension.