Quantitative trait loci influencing hepatic copper in rats

In silico QTL mapping of basal liver iron levels in inbred mouse strains

Both iron deficiency and iron excess are detrimental in many organisms, and previous studies in both mice and humans suggest that genetic variation may influence iron status in mammals. However, these genetic factors are not well defined. To address this issue, we measured basal liver iron levels in 18 inbred strains of mice of both sexes on a defined iron diet and found ∼4-fold variation in liver iron in males (lowest 153 μg/g, highest 661 μg/g) and ∼3-fold variation in females (lowest 222 μg/g, highest 658 μg/g). We carried out a genome-wide association mapping to identify haplotypes underlying differences in liver iron and three other related traits (copper and zinc liver levels, and plasma diferric transferrin levels) in a subset of 14 inbred strains for which genotype information was available. We identified two putative quantitative trait loci (QTL) that contain genes with a known role in iron metabolism: Eif2ak1 and Igf2r. We also identified four putative QTL that reside in previously identified iron-related QTL and 22 novel putative QTL. The most promising putative QTL include a 0.22 Mb region on Chromosome 7 and a 0.32 Mb region on Chromosome 11 that both contain only one candidate gene, Adam12 and Gria1, respectively. Identified putative QTL are good candidates for further refinement and subsequent functional studies.

Comparative genomics for detecting human disease genes

Originally, comparative genomics was geared toward defining the synteny of genes between species. As the human genome project accelerated, there was an increase in the number of tools and means to make comparisons culminating in having the genomic sequence for a large number of organisms spanning the evolutionary tree. With this level of resolution and a long history of comparative biology and comparative genetics, it is now possible to use comparative genomics to build or select better animal models and to facilitate gene discovery. Comparative genomics takes advantage of the functional genetic information from other organisms, (vertebrates and invertebrates), to apply it to the study of human physiology and disease. It allows for the identification of genes and regulatory regions, and for acquiring knowledge about gene function. In this chapter, the current state of comparative genomics and the available tools are discussed in the context of developing animal model systems that reflect the clinical picture.

Impact of genomics on research in the rat

The need to translate genes to function has positioned the rat as an invaluable animal model for genomic research. The significant increase in genomic resources in recent years has had an immediate functional application in the rat. Many of the resources for translational research are already in place and are ready to be combined with the years of physiological knowledge accumulated in numerous rat models, which is the subject of this perspective. Based on the successes to date and the research projects under way to further enhance the infrastructure of the rat, we also project where research in the rat will be in the near future. The impact of the rat genome project has just started, but it is an exciting time with tremendous progress.