Genetic and molecular analysis of chlorambucil-induced germ-line mutations in the mouse

Immunosuppressants and Male Reproduction

Prolonged use of immunosuppressant medications is occasionally seen in infertile men with chronic inflammatory conditions; autoimmune disorders; or an organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Chronic inflammation impacts negatively on male reproductive endpoints, so immunosuppressant therapy can produce improvements. Corticosteroids have been used to treat antisperm antibodies and even as an empirical treatment for male infertility in general. Trials of these methods have provided mixed results on semen quality and fertility, with improvement, no change and negative effects reported by different investigators. In a substantial number of observational studies, patients on long-term therapy with prednisone for chronic inflammatory disease, testosterone levels were lower compared to untreated controls, though randomized controlled trials have not been conducted. Similarly decreases in testosterone have been reported in men receiving corticosteroids to minimize transplant rejection; however, most were treated with multiple immunosuppressive medications that may have contributed to this effect. A large number of trials of healthy men treated with corticosteroids have shown some disruption in reproductive hormone levels, but other studies reported no effect. Studies in monkeys, rats (at human equivalent dose), cattle, sheep, and horses have shown endocrine disruption, including low testosterone with dexamethasone treatment. Of the cytostatic immunosuppressives, which have high potential for cellular damage, cyclophosphamide has received the most attention, sometimes lowering sperm counts significantly. Methotrexate may decrease sperm numbers in humans and has significant negative impacts in rodents. Other chemotherapeutic drugs used as immunosuppressants are likely to impact negatively on male fertility endpoints, but few data have been collected. The TNF-α Inhibitors have also received little experimental attention. There is some evidence that the immunophilin modulators: cyclosporine, sirolimus, and everolimus cause endocrine disruption and semen quality impairment. As we review in this chapter, results in experimental species are concerning, and well-designed studies are lacking for the effects of these medications on reproductive endpoints in men.

Going forward with genetics: recent technological advances and forward genetics in mice

Forward genetic analysis is an unbiased approach for identifying genes essential to defined biological phenomena. When applied to mice, it is one of the most powerful methods to facilitate understanding of the genetic basis of human biology and disease. The speed at which disease-causing mutations can be identified in mutagenized mice has been markedly increased by recent advances in DNA sequencing technology. Creating and analyzing mutant phenotypes may therefore become rate-limiting in forward genetic experimentation. We review the forward genetic approach and its future in the context of recent technological advances, in particular massively parallel DNA sequencing, induced pluripotent stem cells, and haploid embryonic stem cells.

X-ray-induced deletion complexes in embryonic stem cells on mouse chromosome 15

Chromosomal deletions have long been used as genetic tools in dissecting the functions of complex genomes, and new methodologies are still being developed to achieve the maximum coverage. In the mouse, where the chromosomal deletion coverage is far less extensive than that in Drosophila, substantial coverage of the genome with deletions is strongly desirable. This article reports the generation of three deletion complexes in the distal part of mouse Chromosome (Chr) 15. Chromosomal deletions were efficiently induced by X rays in embryonic stem (ES) cells around the Otoconin 90 (Oc 90), SRY-box-containing gene 10 (Sox 10), and carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1b (Cpt 1 b) loci. Deletions encompassing the Oc 90 and Sox 10 loci were transmitted to the offspring of the chimeric mice that were generated from deletion-bearing ES cells. Whereas deletion complexes encompassing the Sox 10 and the Cpt 1 b loci overlap each other, no overlap of the Oc 90 complex with the Sox 10 complex was found, possibly indicating the existence of a haploinsufficient gene located between Oc 90 and Sox 10. Deletion frequency and size induced by X rays depend on the selective locus, possibly reflecting the existence of haplolethal genes in the vicinity of these loci that yield fewer and smaller deletions. Deletions induced in ES cells by X rays vary in size and location of breakpoints, which makes them desirable for mapping and for functional genomics studies.

N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea mouse mutants in the dissection of behavioural and psychiatric disorders

Twin and adoption studies have consistently implicated genetics in the aetiology of psychiatric and behavioural disorders. The identification of the genes and molecular pathways that are associated with these traits using linkage studies has been difficult because psychiatric disorders are almost always non-mendelian, heterogeneous, involve multiple genetic loci and are influenced significantly by environmental factors. Mouse models that are based on intermediate signatures of psychiatric disease and pharmacological responsiveness hold promise as a complementary approach to dissecting the molecular basis of neurobehavioural disorders. This has been made possible by the development and refinement of gene targeting technologies and the use of super-efficient chemical mutagens. N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU) mutagenesis in the mouse, when coupled to a battery of sensitive behavioural screens, is an effective way of creating and identifying novel mouse behavioural mutants. Here, the concept of screening for ENU mutants is introduced while progress with two behavioural screens, an "anxiety" screen and a circadian screen, are presented. It is hoped that the study of mouse mutants that have arisen from these screens will provide new insights into the genetic basis of abnormal behaviour and that they might lead to the development of novel therapeutic compounds for human psychiatric disease.

Chlornaphazine and chlorambucil induce dominant lethal mutations in male mice

Two antineoplastic agents, chlornaphazine (CN) and chlorambucil (CHL), were tested for the induction of dominant lethal mutations in male mice. Both compounds are nitrogen mustard derivatives and have been shown to be genotoxic in a variety of organisms. CN was administered intraperitoneally to DBA/2J male mice at a dosage of 0, 500, 1000, or 1500 mg/kg body weight (bw). Immediately following treatment, each male was mated at 4-day intervals to two virgin C57BL/6J females. CHL was administered intraperitoneally to C3H/HeJ and DBA/2J males at a dosage of 0, 2.5, or 5.0 mg/kg bw. These males were mated at weekly intervals to two virgin T-stock females. CN and CHL clearly induced dominant lethal mutations. CN induced dominant lethal effects in all post-meiotic germ-cell stages of treated DBA males, with a clear dose-response relationship. The results with CHL-treated DBA males indicated that all post-meiotic germ-cell stages, except late-spermatids, were affected by CHL treatment, while in C3H males, CHL induced dominant lethal effects in all post-meiotic germ-cell stages. A dose-response relationship was also observed with CHL in C3H male mice. In the present experiments, regardless of the agent or the mouse strain used, spermatids appeared to be the germ-cell stage most sensitive to dominant lethal induction.

From mouse to man: generating megabase chromosome rearrangements

Experimental approaches for deciphering the function of human genes rely heavily on our ability to generate mutations in model organisms such as the mouse. However, because recessive mutations are masked by the wild-type allele in the diploid context, conventional mutagenesis and screening is often laborious and costly. Chromosome engineering combines the power of gene targeting in embryonic stem (ES) cells with Cre--loxP technology to create mice that are functionally haploid in discrete portions of the genome. Chromosome deletions, duplications and inversions can be tagged with visible markers, facilitating strain maintenance. These approaches allow for more refined mutagenesis screens that will greatly accelerate functional mouse genomics and generate mammalian models for developmental processes and cancer.

Bleomycin, unlike other male-mouse mutagens, is most effective in spermatogonia, inducing primarily deletions

Dominant-lethal tests [P.D. Sudman, J.C. Rutledge, J.B. Bishop, W.M. Generoso, Bleomycin: female-specific dominant lethal effects in mice, Mutat. Res. 296 (1992) 205-217] had suggested that Bleomycin sulfate (Blenoxane), BLM, might be a female-specific mutagen. While confirming that BLM is indeed a powerful inducer of dominant-lethal mutations in females that fails to induce such mutations in postspermatogonial stages of males, we have shown in a specific-locus test that BLM is, in fact, mutagenic in males. This mutagenicity, however, is restricted to spermatogonia (stem-cell and differentiating stages), for which the specific-locus mutation rate differed significantly (P<0.008) from the historical control rate. In treated groups, dominant mutations, also, originated only in spermatogonia. With regard to mutation frequencies, this germ-cell-stage pattern is different from that for radiation and for any other chemical studied to date, except ethylnitrosourea (ENU). However, the nature of the spermatogonial specific-locus mutations differentiates BLM from ENU as well, because BLM induced primarily (or, perhaps, exclusively) multilocus deletions. Heretofore, no chemical that induced specific-locus mutations in spermatogonia did not also induce specific-locus as well as dominant-lethal mutations in postspermatogonial stages, making the dominant lethal test, up till now, predictive of male mutagenicity in general. The BLM results now demonstrate that there are chemicals that can induce specific-locus mutations in spermatogonia without testing positive in postspermatogonial stages. Thus, BLM, while not female-specific, is unique, (a) in its germ-cell-stage specificity in males, and (b) in inducing a type of mutation (deletions) that is atypical for the responding germ-cell stages (spermatogonia).

Generation of mouse mutants as a tool for functional genomics

As sequence information becomes available from the Human Genome Project, key developments include systematic methods for assigning function to each of the 100,000 or so genes. Strategies for coping with this sequence information, including microarray analysis and proteomics, will further our understanding of how genes function and interact. Ultimately, however, the simplest way to understand how a gene works is to examine the consequences of interference with its function: mutational analysis. The mouse represents the model organism of choice in the analysis of gene function; close enough to human to represent a satisfactory model organism, yet relatively easy to manipulate at a genetic level. Two complementary approaches, genotype- and phenotype-based, have been established in the mouse genetics and genomics communities to systematically generate new mouse mutations. Genotype-based approaches are advantageous in that molecular analysis of mutations is facilitated. Phenotypic analysis, however, is often assumed based on gene expression patterns, often leading to unexpected results. Phenotype-based approaches do not make prior assumptions about gene function. Often, however, it may be difficult to define the underlying genetic lesion. Progress in each of these approaches will be considered and situations in which they might be mutually beneficial will be investigated.

Mechanisms of mutation induction in germ cells of the mouse as assessed by the specific locus test

Mouse germ cell specific locus mutagenesis data and a molecular characterization of mutant alleles have been reviewed to arrive at an understanding of the mechanism of mutation induction in mammals. (a) The spermatogenic stage specificity for the sensitivity to mutation induction by 20 chemical mutagens is considered. (b) The effects of a saturable repair process and its recovery over time are examined for the mutagenic efficiency of ethylnitrosourea. (c) The mutagenic events following methylnitrosourea and chlorambucil are shown to be mainly deletions. In contrast the mutations recovered after ethylnitrosourea treatment are almost exclusively base pair substitutions. (d) It is emphasized that to date very few specific locus experiments have been designed to test for mutagenic events outside the interval stem cell spermatogonia-mature spermatozoa. A specific locus mutation has recently been shown to be due to loss of heterozygosity via mitotic recombination in an early zygote stage and suggests a broader range of possible mechanisms of mutation when these stages are considered. (e) With the cloning of all 7 marker loci mutation analysis at the molecular level will allow a more direct assessment of the mutation process in future studies.

Life cycle of the mammalian germ cell: implication for spontaneous mutation frequencies

A brief history of the developmental life cycle of the mammalian germ cell, from fertilization to gametogenesis in the mature gonad, is presented. The differences between gametogenesis in the mature gonad of males and females are also described with regard to properties that may affect their susceptibilities to mutation. It is emphasized that any historical control background rate of necessity will include mutations that occur in germinal tissue at all stages of development and differentiation, although it is not always possible to determine at what stage of germline development a spontaneous mutation has occurred. Studies of induced mutations suggest that the impact on the molecular level and the distribution of mutations among the F1 and F2 progeny may be partly determined by the stage and sex of germ cells in which spontaneous mutations occur. In summary, historical control rates should only be considered the sum total of mutations that occur during the entire life of the individual and cannot represent the control values of any individual germ cell stage. Nonetheless, it is certainly important and valid to use historical control data for calculating human risk, because the primary use of the estimation of mutant frequencies is to access the potential impact of agents in increasing the genetic load in the human population.

Mutations in mouse Aristaless-like4 cause Strong's luxoid polydactyly

Mutations that affect vertebrate limb development provide insight into pattern formation, evolutionary biology and human birth defects. Patterning of the limb axes depends on several interacting signaling centers; one of these, the zone of polarizing activity (ZPA), comprises a group of mesenchymal cells along the posterior aspect of the limb bud that express sonic hedgehog (Shh) and plays a key role in patterning the anterior-posterior (AP) axis. The mechanisms by which the ZPA and Shh expression are confined to the posterior aspect of the limb bud mesenchyme are not well understood. The polydactylous mouse mutant Strong's luxoid (lst) exhibits an ectopic anterior ZPA and expression of Shh that results in the formation of extra anterior digits. Here we describe a new chlorambucil-induced deletion allele, lstAlb, that uncovers the lst locus. Integration of the lst genetic and physical maps suggested the mouse Aristaless-like4 (Alx4) gene, which encodes a paired-type homeodomain protein that plays a role in limb patterning, as a strong molecular candidate for the Strong's luxoid gene. In genetic crosses, the three lst mutant alleles fail to complement an Alx4 gene-targeted allele. Molecular and biochemical characterization of the three lst alleles reveal mutations of the Alx4 gene that result in loss of function. Alx4 haploinsufficiency and the importance of strain-specific modifiers leading to polydactyly are indicative of a critical threshold requirement for Alx4 in a genetic program operating to restrict polarizing activity and Shh expression in the anterior mesenchyme of the limb bud, and suggest that mutations in Alx4 may also underlie human polydactyly.

Using targeted large deletions and high-efficiency N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea mutagenesis for functional analyses of the mammalian genome

The Human Genome Project has generated nucleotide sequences from an estimated 80,000 to 100,000 genes, only a small fraction of which have a known role. Nucleotide sequence information alone is insufficient to predict gene function. One of the most powerful ways of revealing gene function, as demonstrated in bacteria, worms, yeast, and flies, is to generate mutations and characterize them at both the phenotypic and the molecular levels. Given the physiological and anatomical parallels between mouse and human, genotype-phenotype relationships established in mice can be extrapolated to human syndromes. A new method is described for functional genetic analyses in the mouse that uses loxP/Cre engineering to generate coat color-tagged large deletions. The haploid regions can then be dissected by mutagenesis with N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea in phenotype-driven screens to obtain functional information on genes in any desired region of the mouse genome.

Molecular characterization of four induced alleles at the Ednrb locus

The piebald locus on mouse chromosome 14 encodes the endothelin-B receptor (EDNRB), a G protein-coupled, seven-transmembrane domain protein, which is required for neural crest-derived melanocyte and enteric neuron development. A spontaneous null allele of Ednrb results in homozygous mice that are predominantly white and die as juveniles from megacolon. To identify the important domains for EDNRB function, four recessive juvenile lethal alleles created by either radiation or chemical mutagens (Ednrb27Pub, Ednrb17FrS, Ednrb1Chlc, and Ednrb3Chlo) were examined at the molecular level. Ednrb27Pub mice harbor a mutation at a critical proline residue in the fifth transmembrane domain of the EDNRB protein. A gross genomic alteration within the Ednrb gene in Ednrb3Chlo results in the production of aberrantly sized transcripts and no authentic Ednrb mRNA. Ednrb17FrS mice exhibited a decreased level of Ednrb mRNA, supporting previous observations that the degree of spotting in piebald mice is dependent on the amount of EDNRB expressed. Finally, no molecular defect was detected in Ednrb1Chlc mice, which produce normal levels of Ednrb mRNA in adult brain, suggesting that the mutation affects important regulatory elements that mediate the expression of the gene during development.

Reln(rl-Alb2), an allele of reeler isolated from a chlorambucil screen, is due to an IAP insertion with exon skipping

The reeler Albany2 mutation (Reln(rl-Alb2) in the mouse is an allele of reeler isolated during a chlorambucil mutagenesis screen. Homozygous animals had drastically reduced concentrations of reelin mRNA, in which an 85-nt exon was absent. At the genomic level, the mutation was shown to be due to an intracisternal A-particle insertion leading to exon skipping. This appears to be the first observation of retrotransposon insertion during chlorambucil mutagenesis.

Chlorambucil-induced structural changes in the gpt gene of AS52 cells

The bifunctional alkylating agent chlorambucil (CBC) is a chemotherapeutic agent that induces a high yield of mouse germ-line mutations, apparently due to multi-locus deletions or other chromosomal rearrangements. We investigated the mutagenicity of CBC in cultured mammalian cells by comparing its effect in the AS52/gpt and CHO/hprt gene mutation assays, which detect large and small effects, respectively. CBC significantly increased the mutant frequency in the AS52/gpt assay, but not in the CHO/hprt assay, while the cytotoxic responses to CBC were similar in the two cell lines. This indicates that CBC induced predominantly large deletions or other gross structural changes, and not point or other small mutations. The mutational responses to CBC were similar to the responses to mitomycin C comparing them based on the cytotoxic responses. Molecular analysis of the gpt gene in AS52 mutant cells by electrophoresis following PCR amplification revealed that 81% of CBC-induced mutants lost the entire gpt gene, which is caused by large deletions or interchromosomal recombinations. The loss frequency was lower in spontaneous mutants (42%) and ethylmethanesulfonate-induced mutants (29%). This supports cytogenetic data showing that CBC is a potent clastogen in cultured mammalian cells, inducing predominantly large deletions and/or other gross structural alterations.

A high-resolution genetic map around waltzer on mouse chromosome 10 and identification of a new allele of waltzer

A new autosomal recessive mouse mutation characterized by deafness and circling behavior was recovered during mutagenesis experiments with chlorambucil (CHL). On the basis of allelism tests and linkage analyses, this mutation appears to represent a new allele of waltzer (v) that maps to mouse Chromosome (Chr) 10. We have designated this new allele, Albany waltzer (vAlb). A high-resolution map of the region around v was constructed from data from two intersubspecific backcrosses involving Mus musculus castaneus. The analysis of 648 backcross mice has allowed vAlb to be localized 1.1 +/- 0.4 cM distal to D10Mit60 and 0.2 +/- 0.2 cM proximal to a cluster of four markers, D10Mit172, D10Mit112, D10Mit48, and D10Mit196. An independent backcross was used to confirm the map order and distances in the vAlb backcross. The two linkage maps were consistent, indicating that the lesion in vAlb, which is presumed to be a deletion based on the known action of CHL, is small and has not significantly altered the map at this level of detection. Additionally, three genes (Ros1, Grik2, and Zfa) were eliminated as possible candidates for vAlb, and several SSLP markers were separated genetically.

Identification of selected gamma-ray induced deficiencies in zebrafish using multiplex polymerase chain reaction

The ease with which mutations can be generated in zebrafish makes this vertebrate an important resource for developmental genetics and genome studies. We have developed a PCR-based screening method that allows the efficient identification of gamma-ray induced deficiencies targeted to selected sequences. We describe three mutants characteristic of our findings and show that these mutations include deletions and translocations that can affect as much as 1% of the genome. These deficiencies provide a basis for analyzing the functions of cloned zebrafish genes using noncomplementation screens for point mutations induced by high-efficiency chemical mutagenesis.

Evidence that two phenotypically distinct mouse PKD mutations, bpk and jcpk, are allelic

Numerous mouse models of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) have been described. All of these diseases are transmitted as single recessive traits and in most, the phenotypic severity is influenced by the genetic background. However, based on their genetic map positions, none of these loci appears to be allelic and none are candidate modifier loci for any other mouse PKD mutation. Previously, we have described the mouse bpk mutation, a model that closely resembles human autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease. We now report that the bpk mutation maps to a 1.6 CM interval on mouse Chromosome 10, and that the renal cystic disease severity in our intersubspecific intercross progeny is influenced by the genetic background. Interestingly, bpk co-localizes with jcpk, a phenotypically-distinct PKD mutation, and complementation testing indicates that the bpk and jcpk mutations are allelic. These data imply that distinct PKD phenotypes can result from different mutations within a single gene. In addition, based on its map position, the bpk locus is a candidate genetic modifier for jck, a third phenotypically-distinct PKD mutation.

Quantitative trait loci that modify the severity of spotting in piebald mice

Mice homozygous for the recessive mutation piebald (s) exhibit a white-spotted coat caused by the defective development of neural crest-derived melanocytes. The severity of white spotting varies greatly, depending on the genetic background on which s is expressed. A backcross between two inbred strains of s/s mice that exhibit large differences in the degree of spotting was used to identify six genetic modifiers of piebald spotting on chromosomes 2, 5, 7, 8, 10, and 13. The loci differed in their spatial contribution to spotting on the dorsal versus ventral surfaces of mice; nonadditive interactions were observed between loci on chromosomes 2 and 5. This study underscores the power of using genetic analyses to identify and analyze loci involved in modifying the severity of phenotypic traits in mice.

A high-resolution map of the brown (b, Tyrp1) deletion complex of mouse chromosome 4

For over 40 years germ-cell mutagenesis experiments have generated many new mutations at the brown (b or Tyrp1) locus on mouse Chromosome (Chr) 4. These mutations, many of which are deletions, were recovered by the specific-locus mutagenesis technique. Previous analysis of a panel of brown deletions, generated at Oak Ridge, has enabled both a preliminary molecular and a functional map around the locus to be generated. We have used a panel of hybrid DNA from 25 Oak Ridge deletions, where the deleted chromosome was heterozygous with a Mus spretus chromosome, to map polymorphic markers including microclones, microsatellites, and cloned DNA markers. We have generated a fine structure map, based on 25 new markers, of an 8.5-cM region surrounding the brown locus. This map will prove useful in future mapping studies of this region and in the isolation of the genes that lie within it.

New mouse model for polycystic kidney disease with both recessive and dominant gene effects

In the course of studying the genetics of chlorambucil mutagenesis, we have uncovered a new model for autosomal polycystic kidney disease (PKD). In the homozygous condition, the gene, jcpk, causes a very severe disease characterized by cysts in all segments of the nephron. Death usually occurs before 10 days of age. Extrarenal involvement was also noted; enlarged bile ducts, pancreatic ducts, and gall bladder often accompanied the PKD. In addition, approximately 25% of the aged +/jcpk heterozygotes show evidence of glomerulocystic disease. This gene maps to Chromosome 10 between two DNA markers, D10Mit20 and D10Mit42. Because this gene causes extrarenal abnormalities and because it has a heterozygote effect, it may be an informative animal model for the commonly occurring human adult dominant PKD.

The cross-linking agent hexamethylphosphoramide predominantly induces intra-locus and multi-locus deletions in postmeiotic germ cells of Drosophila

The nature of DNA sequence changes induced by the cross-linking agent hexamethylphosphoramide (HMPA) within and in the vicinity of the vermilion locus of Drosophila melanogaster that produce a vermilion mutant phenotype was analyzed after exposure of postmeiotic male germ cells. Mutagenized males were mated to either females wild-type (exr+) for nucleotide excision repair (NER) or to females having a deficiency (exr-) for NER. Rearrangements, mostly deletions, represented by far the most frequent type of mutational events induced by HMPA that are detected as vermilion mutations. In the exr+ group, all but one (a double substitution) of 21 mutants characterized were large sequence changes: we found 5 intra-locus deletions, 3 intra-locus deletions associated with insertions and 12 multi-locus deletions. When taken together, deletions and deletion/insertion mutations represent 96% of the HMPA-induced DNA modifications obtained under proficient repair conditions. Of the 10 mutants obtained from crosses with exr- females, 6 intra-locus and 2 multi-locus deletions were found, as opposed to just 1 point mutation and 1 double substitution. The "hypomutability effect" observed with exr- genotypes in relation to the wild type seems to be caused by a decrease in the frequency of multi-locus deletions in the former group. The results suggest that the NER system is involved in the generation of multi-locus deletions, whereas intra-locus deletions appear to be formed through a postreplication slipped-misrepair pathway. It is concluded that an eukaryotic in vivo system with no limitations for the recovery of multi-locus deletions, such as vermilion, should be used for the analysis of DNA damage induced by cross-linking agents.

High-resolution genetic map and YAC contig around the mouse neurological locus reeler

Mutations at the recessive reeler locus (rl) on mouse Chromosome (Chr) 5 result in abnormal development of multiple central nervous system components, including the cerebral and cerebellar cortices. These abnormalities are characterized by highly disorganized laminar structures thought to have arisen from a post-migration failure of neuronal organization events that are probably mediated through cell-cell interactions. As a result of a mutagenesis scheme designed to generate visible recessive mutations induced by the drug chlorambucil, we had previously recovered a new allele of the reeler locus (rlAlb) that is likely to involve a deletion based on the known mechanisms of chlorambucil action. We have constructed a high-resolution genetic map from two intercrosses segregating this allele. Our first cross, in which the mutation was outcrossed to the 101 strain prior to intercrossing, consisted of 196 meioses and resulted in the positioning of four loci proximal to rl, with D5Mit1 being the closest (2.6 +/- 1.1 cM). The second cross consisted of intercrossing rl heterozygotes derived from an outcross to the C57BL/6 strain. A total of 318 mice (636 meioses) gave rise to a panel of 41 recombinants, which were used to map a total of 14 loci within a 6.4-cM interval bounded by D5Mit1 and the En-2 gene. A yeast artificial chromosome contig consisting of clones containing two of these loci, D5Mit72 (located 0.31 cM distal to rl), and D5Mit61 (no recombinants with rl), has been assembled and is being used to locate the rl gene.

Intracisternal A-type particle elements as genetic markers: detection by repeat element viral element amplified locus-PCR

We describe a novel, PCR-based technique termed REVEAL-PCR for examining the inheritance of intracisternal A-type particles (IAP). Amplifications use an unlabeled primer to SINE repeats and a radiolabeled primer to the IAP long terminal repeat; labeled products, which can be resolved on sequencing gels, are formed when IAPs lie in proximity to SINEs. With this technique we have identified a total of 124 polymorphisms in the BXH and CXS recombinant inbred strains. We suggest that this method will be equally applicable for examining other gene families present at around a thousand copies per genome.

Molecular genetics of the brown (b)-locus region of mouse chromosome 4. II. Complementation analyses of lethal brown deletions

Numerous new mutations at the brown (b) locus in mouse chromosome 4 have been recovered over the years in germ-cell mutagenesis experiments performed at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. A large series of radiation- and chemical-induced b mutations known to be chromosomal deletions, and also known to be prenatally lethal when homozygous, were analyzed by pairwise complementation crosses as well as by pseudodominance tests involving flanking loci defined by externally visible phenotypes. These crosses were designed to determine the extent of each deletion on the genetic and phenotype map of the chromosomal region surrounding the b locus; the crosses also provided basic data that assigned deletions to complementation groups and defined four new loci associated with aberrancies in normal development. Specifically, the pseudodominance tests identified deletions that include the proximally mapping whirler (wi) and the distally mapping depilated (dep) genes, thereby bracketing these loci defined by visible developmental abnormalities with landmarks (deletion breakpoints) that are easily identified on the physical map. Furthermore, the complementation crosses, which were supplemented with additional crosses that allowed determination of the gross time of lethality of selected deletions, defined four new loci required for normal development. Homozygous deletion of one of these loci (b-associated fitness, baf) results in a runting syndrome evident during postnatal development; deletion of one locus [l(4)2Rn] causes death in the late gestation/neonatal period; and deletion of either of two loci [l(4)1Rn or l(4)3Rn] results in embryonic death, most likely in pre-, peri- or postimplantation stages. The placement of these new functionally defined loci on the evolving molecular map of the b region should be useful for continuing the analysis of the roles played in development by genes in this segment of chromosome 4.

Molecular genetics of the brown (b)-locus region of mouse chromosome 4. I. Origin and molecular mapping of radiation- and chemical-induced lethal brown deletions

Over a period of many years, germ-cell mutagenesis experiments using the mouse specific-locus test have generated numerous radiation- and chemical-induced alleles of the brown (b; Tyrp 1) locus in mouse chromosome 4. We describe here the origin, maintenance and initial molecular characterization of 28 b mutations that are prenatally lethal when homozygous. Each of these mutations is deleted for Tyrp 1 sequences, and each of 25 mutations tested further is deleted for at least one other locus defined by molecular clones previously found to be closely linked to b by interspecific backcross analysis. A panel of DNAs from mice carrying a lethal b mutation and a Mus spretus chromosome 4 was used in the fine structure mapping of these molecularly defined loci. The deletional nature of each of these prenatally lethal mutations is consistent with the hypothesis that the null phenotype at b has an effect only on the quality (color) of eumelanin produced in melanocytes. The resulting deletion map provides a framework on which to build future molecular-genetic and biological analyses of this region of mouse chromosome 4.

Forward and reverse genetic approaches to behavior in the mouse

Modern molecular genetic and genomic approaches are revolutionizing the study of behavior in the mouse. "Reverse genetics" (from gene to phenotype) with targeted gene transfer provides a powerful tool to dissect behavior and has been used successfully to study the effects of null mutations in genes implicated in the regulation of long-term potentiation and spatial learning in mice. In addition, "forward genetics" (from phenotype to gene) with high-efficiency mutagenesis in the mouse can uncover unknown genes and has been used to isolate a behavioral mutant of the circadian system. With the recent availability of high-density genetic maps and physical mapping resources, positional cloning of virtually any mutation is now feasible in the mouse. Together, these approaches permit a molecular analysis of both known and previously unknown genes regulating behavior.

Further flow cytometric studies of the effects of triethylenemelamine on somatic and testicular tissues of the rat

Exposure to the mutagen triethylenemelamine on rat bone marrow, blood, and testis was studied using flow cytometry of DAPI-stained nuclei. Increased coefficients of variation (CVs) of the G1 peaks were observed in bone marrow and blood after both 1 d and 5 d exposures. After 5 d exposure and 7 d recovery both tissues had recovered, in some cases to significantly lower CVs. Increased CVs of the 1C peak of testis were observed only after 5 d exposure to the high dose with no subsequently observed recovery. Bone marrow cells also were stained with Hoechst 33258 and Propidium Iodide. No differences among dyes were observed indicating that increased CVs likely are due to DNA damage resulting from interactions with the mutagen rather than differences in how the dyes bind to DNA relative to mutagen binding. This study demonstrates that differences occur among tissues in how quickly they respond and recover from mutagen exposure. Increased CVs, cell cycle alterations, and decreased CVs after recovery are all potentially useful biomarkers of effect for laboratory and field studies in environmental toxicology.

Role of mouse germ-cell mutagenesis in understanding genetic risk and in generating mutations that are prime tools for studies in modern biology

Highlights are presented on (1) the role mouse germ-cell mutagenesis has played in assessing the genetic harm from radiations and chemicals, and (2) the contributions to the field of modern biology that are being made by the products of this research--the propagated mutations. Among the numerous findings in radiation mutagenesis were the humped dose-effect curve for spermatogonial stem cells, the major differences between the sexes and between germ-cell stages of each sex in both yield and nature of mutations, the dose-rate effect, which provided the first evidence for repair of mutational (or premutational) damage, the augmenting effect of certain regimes of dose fractionation, and many others. Chemical mutagenesis studies that followed revealed at least three patterns of mutation yield and demonstrated that germ-cell stage--much more than the nature of the chemical--governs the nature of the DNA lesions induced. Two "supermutagens," one for intragenic mutations and one for deletions and other rearrangements, have become very useful in the manufacture of mutations for specific purposes. The mutations propagated from radiation- and chemical-mutagenesis experiments are providing prime resources for basic studies in genome organization, gene structure, and function. DNA lesions that involve specific loci have made possible increasingly detailed characterization of extensive deletion complexes that facilitate high-intensity physical and functional mapping within them. Numerous loci associated with interesting developmental anomalies have been identified and have become accessible to positional cloning. Several of the genes accessed with the aid of induced mutations (deletions, other rearrangements, and point mutations) are furnishing prime reagents for elucidating human disease conditions.

Fine structure mapping and deletion analysis of the murine piebald locus

piebald (s) is a recessive mutation that affects the development of two cell types of neural crest origin: the melanocytes, responsible for pigment synthesis in the skin, and enteric ganglia, which innervate the lower bowel. As a result, mice carrying piebald mutations exhibit white spotting in the coat and aganglionic megacolon. Previously the gene had been localized to the distal half of mouse chromosome 14. To determine its precise location relative to molecular markers, an intersubspecific backcross was generated. Two anchor loci of chromosome 14, slaty and hypogonadal, in addition to simple sequence length repeat markers, were used to localize s to a 2-cM interval defined by the markers D14Mit38 and D14Mit42. The molecular markers were also used to characterize nine induced s alleles. Three of these mutations exhibited no deletions or rearrangements of the flanking markers, whereas the other six had two or more of these markers deleted. The extent of the deletions was found to be consistent with the severity of the homozygous phenotype. The location of deletion breakpoints in the induced alleles, coupled with the recombination breakpoints in the backcross progeny, provide useful molecular landmarks to define the location of the piebald gene.

Molecular analysis of radiation-induced albino (c)-locus mutations that cause death at preimplantation stages of development

Deletion mutations at the albino (c) locus have been useful for continuing the development of fine-structure physical and functional maps of the Fes-Hbb region of mouse chromosome 7. This report describes the molecular analysis of a number of radiation-induced c deletions that, when homozygous, cause death of the embryo during preimplantation stages. The distal extent of these deletions defines a locus, pid, (preimplantation development) genetically associated with this phenotype. The proximal breakpoints of eight of these deletions were mapped with respect to the Tyr (tyrosinase; albino) gene as well as to anonymous loci within the Fah-Tyr region that are defined by the Pmv-31 viral integration site and by chromosome-microdissection clones. Rearrangements corresponding to the proximal breakpoints of two of these deletions were detected by Southern blot analysis, and a size-altered restriction fragment carrying the breakpoint of one of them was cloned. A probe derived from this deletion fusion fragment defines a locus, D7Rn6, which maps within (or distal to) the pid region, and which discriminates among the distal extents of deletions eliciting the pid phenotype. Extension of physical maps from D7Rn6 should provide access both to the pid region and to loci mapping distal to pid that are defined by N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-induced lethal mutations.

High-frequency induction of chromosomal rearrangements in mouse germ cells by the chemotherapeutic agent chlorambucil

Recent mutagenesis studies have demonstrated that the chemotherapeutic agent, chlorambucil (CHL), is highly mutagenic in male germ cells of the mouse. Post-meiotic germ cells, and especially early spermatids, are the most sensitive to the cytotoxic and mutagenic effects of this agent. Genetic, cytogenetic and molecular analyses of many induced mutations have shown that, in these germ-cell stages, CHL induces predominantly chromosomal rearrangements (deletions and translocations), and mutation-rate studies show that, in terms of tolerated doses, CHL is perhaps five to ten times more efficient in inducing rearrangements than is radiation exposure. Appropriate breeding protocols, along with knowledge of the advantages and limitations associated with the use of CHL, can be used to expand the current resource of chromosomal rearrangements in the mouse and to provide new phenotype-associated mutations amenable to positional-cloning techniques. The analysis of CHL-induced mutations has also contributed to understanding the factors that affect the yield and nature of chemically induced germline mutations in mammals.

Hazard identification: efficiency of short-term tests in identifying germ cell mutagens and putative nongenotoxic carcinogens

For more than a decade, mutagenicity tests have had a clearly defined role in the identification of potential human mutagens and an ancillary role in the identification of potential human carcinogens. The efficiency of short-term tests in identifying germ cell mutagens has been examined using a combined data set derived from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency/International Agency for Research on Cancer Genetic Activity Profile (EPA/IARC GAP) and EPA Gene-Tox databases. Our review of these data indicates adequate sensitivity of batteries of in vitro short-term mutagenicity tests in identifying germ cell mutagens. The analysis also supports the inclusion of an in vivo assay as suggested in proposed regulatory testing guidelines. In the context of carcinogenicity testing, the ability of short-term bioassays to detect genotoxic or mutagenic carcinogens is well established. Such tests are not considered to be as sensitive to nongenotoxic or nonmutagenic carcinogens. However, analyses presented in this report using the EPA/IARC GAP database demonstrate that many putative nongenotoxic carcinogens that have been adequately tested in short-term genetic bioassays induce gene or chromosomal mutation or aneuploidy. Further investigation should reveal whether the mutagenicity of these agents plays an important mechanistic role in their carcinogenicity.

Genetic, cytogenetic, and molecular analyses of mutations induced by melphalan demonstrate high frequencies of heritable deletions and other rearrangements from exposure of postspermatogonial stages of the mouse

Specific-locus experiments have previously shown melphalan to be mutagenic in all male germ-cell stages tested and particularly so in early spermatids. All but 2 of 24 specific-locus mutations recovered were tested genetically, cytogenetically, and/or molecularly. At least 12 of 15 tested mutations recovered from postspermatogonial stages but only 1 of 7 mutations recovered from stem-cell or differentiating spermatogonia gave evidence of being deletions or other rearrangements. Melphalan-induced mutations, thus, confirm the pattern of dependence of mutation structure on germ-cell stage that had been shown earlier for other chemicals. Results of the present investigation illustrate the capabilities of combined genetic, cytogenetic, and molecular analyses for characterizing the nature of specific-locus mutations. Fine-structure molecular mapping of long regions surrounding specific loci has been greatly facilitated by the availability of genetic reagents (particularly, deletion complexes) generated in specific-locus experiments over the course of decades. Reciprocally, this mapping permits increasingly detailed characterization of the nature of lesions induced by mutagenic exposures of germ cells, adding great powers for qualitative analysis of mutations to the specific-locus test. Cytogenetic and genetic investigations also provide evidence on lesion type, especially for loci at which mutations cannot yet be analyzed molecularly. Melphalan, like chlorambucil, can generate many mutations, a high proportion of which are deletions and other rearrangements, making this chemical valuable for generating mutations (at any locus) amenable to molecular access.

Chlorambucil-induced mutations in mice recovered in homozygotes

Chlorambucil induced a number of recessive visible mutations in the mouse. Induction of these mutations was studied in two mating schemes, each designed to recover mutations after two intercrosses. In scheme 1, 10 mutations were detected in 82 mice; in scheme 2, 1 mutation was detected in 19 mice. We have estimated that the proportion of gametes carrying a recessive visible mutation may be as high as 25% after a dose of 10 mg of chlorambucil per kg to early spermatids. Seven of these mutations caused morphologically distinct abnormalities, including (i) a cerebellar abnormality similar to that expressed in homozygotes for the reeler (rl) mutation; (ii) open eyelids at birth; (iii) a rostral head hemangioma; (iv) abnormally small spleens, anemia, and umbilical hemorrhages; (v) immobility at birth; (vi) polycystic kidneys; and (vii) a circling behavior. Four additional mutations resulted in growth retardation and a runting syndrome. Because, in earlier studies, all molecularly characterized mutations induced by chlorambucil in poststem cells have proved to be deletions, these recessive visible mutations are probably deletions as well. These mutations may be useful in isolating and characterizing the genes responsible for the observed phenotypes.

Of fin and fur: mutational analysis of vertebrate embryonic development

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Reverse genetics in the mouse and its application to the study of deafness

Genetic variants of the laboratory mouse can serve as useful models for hereditary deafness syndromes in humans. Recessive mutations at the shaker-1 (sh-1) and whirler (wi) loci, in chromosomes 7 and 4, respectively, both result in circling behavior and a deafness syndrome. In sh-1 homozygotes this deafness is associated with neurophysiological abnormalities that may be accompanied by structural abnormalities of the inner ear. Radiation-induced deletion mutations are being used in a strategy of reverse genetics to identify the genes defined by these mutations. Genetic analyses have refined the position of sh-1 to a chromosomal interval between break points of deletions involving the closely linked albino (c) locus. A cDNA encoding olfactory marker protein (OMP) and the anonymous locus D7OR1 have also been mapped to this interval. These clones contribute to the physical map of the sh-1 region and could be important for accessing the sh-1 gene itself. Similarly, we have identified a radiation-induced deletion of the brown (b) locus that covers the wi locus and two that do not. Thus, the wi locus has been located within a chromosome 4 interval defined by structural rearrangements, which should likewise aid in identifying closely linked molecular clones.

The tyrosinase-related protein-1 gene has a structure and promoter sequence very different from tyrosinase

We have determined the exon structure of the mouse tyrosinase-related protein-1 (TRP-1) gene. The gene is only 15kb in length, but contains seven introns, in contrast to the tyrosinase gene which is almost 100kb long with only four introns. Only two introns are located in homologous positions in both genes. Intron I of TRP-1 has three alternative 5' splice sites clustered within 21bp, which all splice to the same 3' site. Intron V has a very unusual 5' splice site, which has the dinucleotide GC rather than the conventional GT. We show that as little as 370bp of 5'-flanking DNA is sufficient to direct cell-specific expression of the chloramphenicol acetyl transferase gene. The flanking DNA of TRP-1, unlike tyrosinase, does not contain a TATA box or a CCAAT box. Both mouse genes, however, share an 11bp sequence, also found in human tyrosinase, which we suggest may be a melanocyte-specific promoter element.

Fatal lymphoreticular disease in the scurfy (sf) mouse requires T cells that mature in a sf thymic environment: potential model for thymic education

Characteristic lesions in mice hemi- or homozygous for the X-linked mutation scurfy (sf) include lymphohistiocytic proliferation in the skin and lymphoid organs, Coombs' test-positive anemia, hypergammaglobulinemia, and death by 24 days of age. The role of the thymus in the development of fatal lymphoreticular disease in the scurfy mouse was investigated. Neonatal thymectomy doubles the life span of scurfy mice, moderates the histologic lesions, and prevents anemia, despite the continued presence of high levels of serum IgG. Animals bred to be nude and scurfy (nu/nu; sf/Y) are viable, fertile, and free of scurfy lesions. Bone marrow from scurfy mice can reconstitute lethally irradiated, H-2-compatible animals but does not transmit scurfy disease. We conclude, from these data, that scurfy lesions are mediated by T lymphocytes that mature in an abnormal (sf) thymic environment.

On the parental origin of de novo mutation in man

Studies tracing parental origins of human mutations by means of cytogenetic polymorphisms and RFLPs show that most trisomics arise out of maternal errors of segregation at the first meiotic division in oocytes. Temporal disturbance of meiotic progression seems likely to underly aneuploidy production in the female mouse, and this could equally be true in women, most especially as they approach the menopause when irregular cyclicity sets in. For human monosomy X, a high proportion of cases show loss of the paternal sex chromosome, and from experimental data giving similar findings in the mouse, it seems likely that the error could arise at the pronuclear stage after sperm entry into the egg, rather than at meiosis in the male. For human point mutations and structural rearrangements, a bias exists towards paternal origins. Errors arising during spermatogonial proliferation in men could contribute point mutations, these accumulating over a lifetime to give paternal age effects. For structural rearrangements, the hypersensitive stage is likely to be the post-meiotic differentiating spermatid, a stage not subject to germinal selection, and one which in Drosophila has been shown to combine high breakability with enhanced repair. Lack of a comparable cell type to the condensing spermatid of the male might be a reason why balanced structural rearrangements are produced rather rarely in females, at least in the mouse.

Development of a possible nonmammalian test system for radiation-induced germ-cell mutagenesis using a fish, the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes)

To develop a specific-locus test (SLT) system for environmental mutagenesis using vertebrate species other than the mouse, we first established a tester stock of the fish medaka (Oryzias latipes) that is homozygous recessive at three loci. The phenotypic expression of these loci can be easily recognized early in embryonic development by observation through the transparent egg membrane. We irradiated wild-type males with 137Cs gamma-rays to determine the dose-response relationships for dominant lethal and specific-locus mutations induced in sperm, spermatids, and spermatogonia. Through observation of 322,666 loci in control offspring and 374,026 loci in offspring obtained from 0.64-, 4.75-, or 9.50-Gy-irradiated gametes, specific-locus mutations were phenotypically detected during early development. These putative mutations, designated "total mutation," can be recognized only in embryos of oviparous animals. The developmental fate of these mutant embryos was precisely followed. During subsequent embryonic development, a large fraction died and thus was unavailable for test-crossing, which was used to identify "viable mutations." Our medaka SLT system demonstrates that the vast majority of total mutations is associated with dominant lethal mutations. Thus far only one spontaneous viable mutation has been observed, so that all doubling calculations involving this endpoint carry a large error. With these reservations, however, we conclude that the quantitative data so far obtained from the medaka SLT are quite comparable to those from the mouse SLT and, hence, indicate the validity of the medaka SLT as a possible nonmammalian test system.