Genetic Features of Major Geographical Isolates of Mus musculus

Abstract

Laboratory mice have greatly contributed to the remarkable advances in immunogenetics and mammalian molecular genetics for the last decade. At present many different mouse strains, both classical and newly developed, are available for genetic studies. It is quite reasonable with the extensive development of research in this field, that one would like to know the natural origin of laboratory mice based on their genetic constitution. We have already revealed that the mitochondrial genome and most of the nuclear genomes of the present laboratory mice originated from an European subspecies Mus musculus domesticus (Yonekawa et al 1980, 1982; Moriwaki et al 1982, 1985). From mtDNA sequences, Ferris et al (1982) suggested “Common laboratory strains of inbred mice are descended from a single female”. From stand points of either immunogenetics, molecular genetics or evolutionary genetics, it should be desirable to increase further the genetic diversity of the laboratory mice. This could be achieved by utilizing other mouse subspecies. Schwarz and Schwarz (1943) taxonomically discriminated 15 subspecies of mice of Old World origin.