A search for quantitative trait loci exhibiting imprinting effects on mouse mandible size and shape

Genomic imprinting refers to the pattern of monoallelic parent-of-origin-dependent gene expression where one of the two alleles at a locus is expressed and the other silenced. Although some genes in mice are known to be imprinted, the true scope of imprinting and its impact on the genetic architectu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Heredity 2008-12, Vol.101 (6), p.518-526
Main Authors: Leamy, L J, Klingenberg, C P, Sherratt, E, Wolf, J B, Cheverud, J M
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Anatomy & physiology
Animals
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Biomedicine
Crosses, Genetic
Cytogenetics
Ecology
Evolutionary Biology
Female
Gene loci
Gene mapping
Genetic effects
Genomic Imprinting
Genomics
Heredity
Human Genetics
Male
Mandible - anatomy & histology
Mandible - metabolism
Mice - anatomy & histology
Mice - genetics
Mice, Inbred Strains
Mouth
Organ Size
original-article
Plant Genetics and Genomics
Quantitative Trait Loci
Rodents
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Summary:Genomic imprinting refers to the pattern of monoallelic parent-of-origin-dependent gene expression where one of the two alleles at a locus is expressed and the other silenced. Although some genes in mice are known to be imprinted, the true scope of imprinting and its impact on the genetic architecture of a wide range of morphometric traits is mostly unknown. We therefore searched for quantitative trait loci (QTL) exhibiting imprinting effects on mandible size and shape traits in a large F 3 population of mice originating from an intercross of the LG/J (Large) and SM/J (Small) inbred strains. We discovered a total of 51 QTL affecting mandible size and shape, 6 of which exhibited differences between reciprocal heterozygotes, the usual signature of imprinting effects. However, our analysis showed that only one of these QTL (affecting mandible size) exhibited a pattern consistent with true imprinting effects, whereas reciprocal heterozygote differences in the other five all were due to maternal genetic effects. We concluded that genomic imprinting has a negligible effect on these specific morphometric traits, and that maternal genetic effects may account for many of the previously reported instances of apparent genomic imprinting.
ISSN:0018-067X
1365-2540
DOI:10.1038/hdy.2008.79