The Diet1 locus confers protection against hypercholesterolemia through enhanced bile acid metabolism.

The C57BL/6ByJ (B6By) mouse strain is resistant to diet-induced hypercholesterolemia and atherosclerosis, despite its near genetic identity with the atherosclerosis-susceptible C57BL/6J (B6J) strain. We previously identified a genetic locus, Diet1, which is responsible for the resistant phenotype in B6By mice. To investigate the function of Diet1, we compared mRNA expression profiles in the liver of B6By and B6J mice fed an atherogenic diet using a DNA microarray. These studies revealed elevated expression levels in B6By liver for key bile acid synthesis proteins, including cholesterol 7alpha-hydroxylase and sterol-27-hydroxylase, and the oxysterol nuclear receptor liver X receptor alpha. Expression levels for several other genes involved in bile acid metabolism were subsequently found to differ between B6By and B6J mice, including the bile acid receptor farnesoid X receptor, oxysterol 7alpha-hydroxylase, sterol-12alpha-hydroxylase, and hepatic bile acid transporters on both sinusoidal and canalicular membranes. The overall expression profile of the B6By strain suggests a higher rate of bile acid synthesis and transport in these mice. Consistent with this interpretation, fecal bile acid excretion is increased 2-fold in B6By mice, and bile acid levels in blood and urine are elevated 3- and 18-fold, respectively. Genetic analysis of serum bile acid levels revealed co-segregation with Diet1, indicating that this locus is likely responsible for both increased bile acid excretion and resistance to hypercholesterolemia in B6By mice.     

Synthetic low and high fat diets for the study of atherosclerosis in the mouse

Diets currently used to produce atherosclerotic lesions in mice are often undefined and cause accumulation of fat in the liver and gallstone formation. Therefore, synthetic low and high fat diets of known composition were formulated in this study. A synthetic diet containing 50% sucrose, 15% cocoa butter, 1% cholesterol, and 0.5% sodium cholate was found to produce a depression in high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and an elevation of very low density lipoprotein (VLDL) and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in the atherosclerosis-susceptible strain, C57BL/6J. This diet was able to consistently produce aortic lesions and led to a decrease in liver damage and gallstone formation. The synthetic low fat diet did not produce HDL-C levels as high as those found in mice fed chow, but resulted in similar VLDL/LDL-C levels. Lipoprotein and apolipoprotein parameters were compared in C57BL/6J and the atherosclerosis-resistant strain, C3H/HeJ, consuming the synthetic low fat or high fat diets. As reported earlier, when consuming a high fat diet C57BL/6J mice have significantly lower HDL-C and apoA-I levels than C3H/HeJ mice. Further analysis shows that the molar ratio of plasma HDL-C to apoA-I is significantly lower in C57BL/6J mice, suggesting that HDL in the susceptible strain has a lower cholesterol-carrying capacity. This conclusion is consistent with the observation that the HDL particle size is smaller for C57BL/6J mice than for C3H/HeJ. Both strains increased their apoE levels when fed the synthetic high fat diet, but C3H/HeJ mice had higher levels of apoE on both diets. The major response to consumption of the high fat diet for both strains was an increase in apoB-48 from 5 micrograms/ml on a low fat diet to 54 and 109 micrograms/ml for C57BL/6J and C3H/HeJ, respectively. ApoB-100 showed minimal response to the high fat diet. The defined high fat diet can be used to study atherosclerosis in the mouse since it produces aortic lesions but reduces or eliminates other pathological changes such as gallstone formation and liver damage.     

Characterization of diabetes-related traits in MSM and JF1 mice on high-fat diet

We examined the effect of a high-fat diet on the diabetes-related traits of the Japanese Fancy mouse 1 (JF1), MSM, and C57BL/6J (B6J) mice. MSM and JF1 mice were derived from Mus musculus molossinus. B6J is a commonly used laboratory strain, with the vast majority of genome segments derived from Mus musculus domesticus and Mus musculus musculus, and is susceptible to high-fat diet-induced type 2 diabetes. None of the strains showed symptoms of diabetes or obesity when fed a laboratory chow diet. Under a high-fat diet, JF1 mice developed impaired glucose tolerance, hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and obesity. B6J mice fed a high-fat diet mildly developed these diabetes-related traits compared to JF1 mice fed a high-fat diet. JF1 mice fed a high-fat diet were classified as having type 2 diabetes and were susceptible to high-fat diet-induced diabetes and obesity. On the other hand, MSM mice were resistant to high-fat diet-induced diabetes. These results indicate that the JF1 strain, with its unique genetic origin, is a useful new animal model of high-fat diet-induced diabetes and obesity. Further investigations using JF1 mice will help to clarify the role of the high-fat diet on human diabetes and obesity.     

Regulation of polyunsaturated fat induced postprandial hypercholesterolemia by a novel genePHC-2

Inbred mouse strains vary in susceptibility or resistance to dietary induced atherosclerosis. To investigate the effect of polyunsaturated fat feeding on postprandial serum cholesterol levels, in C57BL/67 (B6) and BALB/cJ inbred mice, we fed by stomach gavage previously fasted mice, a mixture containing 30% sunflower oil, 5% cholesterol, 2% sodium cholate and 0.5% choline chloride. The most significant difference in serum cholesterol levels between B6 and BALB/cJ mouse strains was observed at 2 h postfeeding. Susceptible B6 strain mice had a 41% postprandial increment in serum cholesterol. The resistant BALB/cJ strain had an insignificant 16% rise in serum cholesterol, at 2 h. We next examined eight other inbred mouse strains, to identify the gene(s) that regulate the observed 2 h postprandial hypercholesterolemia response, in the susceptible B6 mouse strain. Only the C57BR/cdJ and C57L/J strains developed postprandial hypercholesterolemia, at 2 h. The C57BR/cdJ strain had a 20% increase and the C57L/J strain a 62% increase in postprandial serum cholesterol levels. From this result, we found that the postprandial hypercholesterolemic response to an acute polyunsaturated fat-cholesterol feed, cosegregated with the a allele at the Gpd-1 and Ahd-1 loci, on mouse chromosome 4. In this study, non-responsiveness cosegregated with the b allele at the Gpd-1 and Ahd-1 loci. Thus polyunsaturated fat-cholesterol induced postprandial hypercholesterolemia appeared to be genetically determined by a gene located between the Gpd-1 and Ahd-1 loci, in mice. The putative gene regulating polyunsaturated fat-cholesterol induced post-absorptive hypercholesterolemia was designated Phc-2. Further studies with (BALB/cJ×C57BL/6J) Recombinant Inbred strains mapped the Phc-2 gene to a 2 cM region, within the Gpd-1 and Ahd-1 chromosomal segment, between the Pgd and Gpd-1 loci, on mouse chromosome 4.Abbreviations B6 C57BL/6J - HDL High Density Lipoprotein - LDL Low Density Lipoprotein - Phe Postprandial Hypercholesterolemia - PUFA-C Polyunsaturated Fat with Cholesterol - VLDL Very Low Density Lipoprotein     

Ath-2, a Second Gene Determining Atherosclerosis Susceptibility and High Density Lipoprotein Levels in Mice

Strain C57BL/6J and A/J differ at two genes determining atherosclerosis susceptibility. The first gene, Ath-1, was described earlier and this report characterizes Ath-2. The alleles at Ath-2 are r for resistance and s for susceptibility to atherosclerosis. The resistant phenotype in female mice is characterized by high plasma high density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels (74 mg/dl +/- SEM 2) and very few lesions/mouse after 14 weeks of consumption of an atherogenic diet (0.1 +/- SEM 0.1 in a predetermined region of the aorta). The susceptible phenotype in female mice is characterized by low levels of high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (35 mg/dl +/- SEM 1) and 1.2 lesions/mouse +/- SEM 0.2 in the same region of the aorta. In Ath-2 heterozygotes, resistance is dominant to susceptibility. Recombinant inbred strains derived from C57BL/6 and A were characterized for Apoa 1, Apoa 2 and susceptibility to atherosclerosis. Ath-1 and Ath-2 interact with each other so that resistant alleles at either locus confer a resistant phenotype to the animal. The map position of Ath-2 is not known, but Ath-2 does not map near genes determining the apolipoproteins for A-I, A-II, or E.     

Cholesterol and cholate components of an atherogenic diet induce distinct stages of hepatic inflammatory gene expression

Atherosclerosis in inbred mouse strains has been widely studied by using an atherogenic (Ath) diet containing cholesterol, cholic acid, and fat, but the effect of these components on gene expression has not been systematically examined. We employed DNA microarrays to interrogate gene expression levels in liver of C57BL/6J mice fed the following five diets: mouse chow, the Ath diet, or modified versions of the Ath diet in which either cholesterol, cholate, or fat were omitted. Dietary cholesterol and cholate produced discrete gene expression patterns. Cholesterol was required for induction of genes involved in acute inflammation, including three genes of the serum amyloid A family, three major histocompatibility class II antigen genes, and various cytokine-related genes. In contrast, cholate induced expression of genes involved in extracellular matrix deposition in hepatic fibrosis, including five collagen family members, collagen-interacting proteins, and connective tissue growth factor. The gene expression findings were confirmed by biochemical measurements showing that cholesterol was required for elevation of circulating serum amyloid A, and cholate was required for accumulation of collagen in the liver. The possibility that these gene expression changes are relevant to atherogenesis in C57BL/6J mice was supported by the observation that the closely related, yet atherosclerosis-resistant, C57BL/6ByJ strain was largely resistant to dietary induction of the inflammatory and fibrotic response genes. These results establish that cholesterol and cholate components of the Ath diet have distinct proatherogenic effects on gene expression and suggest a strategy to study the contribution of acute inflammatory response and fibrogenesis independently through dietary manipulation.     

Effects of atherogenic diet consumption on lipoproteins in mouse strains C57BL/6 and C3H

Inbred mouse strains C57BL/6J (B6) (susceptible) and C3H/HeJ (C3H) (resistant) differ in atherosclerosis susceptibility due to a single gene, Ath-1. Plasma lipoproteins from female mice fed chow or an atherogenic diet displayed strain differences in lipoprotein particle sizes and apolipoprotein (apo) composition. High density lipoprotein (HDL) particle sizes were 9.5 +/- 0.1 nm for B6 and 10.2 +/- 0.1 nm for C3H. No major HDL particle size subclasses were observed. Plasma HDL level in the B6 strain was reduced by the atherogenic diet consumption while the HDL level in the resistant C3H mice was unaffected. The reduction in HDL in the B6 strain was associated with decreases in HDL apolipoproteins A-I(-34%) and A-II(-60%). The HDL apoC content in mice fed chow was two-fold higher in C3H than B6. Lipoproteins containing apolipoprotein B (VLDL, IDL, LDL) shifted from a preponderance of the B-100 (chow diet) to a preponderance of the B-48 (atherogenic diet). The LDL-particle size distribution was strain-specific with the chow diet but not genetically associated with the Ath-1 gene. In both strains on each diet, apolipoprotein E was largely distributed in the VLDL, LDL, and HDL fractions. The B6 strain became sixfold elevated in total lipoprotein E content which in the C3H strain was not significantly affected by diet. However, the C3H LDL apoE content was reduced. On both diets, the C3H strain exhibited apolipoprotein E levels comparable to the atherogenic diet-induced levels of the B6 mice.     

Comparative teratogenicity of phenytoin among several inbred strains of mice

Inbred strains of mice differ in their response to the embryopathic effects of phenytoin (PHT). A/J animals, the most susceptible strain, were mated to C57BL/6J mice, the most resistant strain. The susceptibility of the F1 hybrid offspring was determined by the susceptibility of the mother. B6AF1 animals were as resistant as C57BL/6J parental mice, and AB6F1 hybrids were as susceptible as A/J mice. This was especially evident when orofacial anomalies were tallied. (B6A)F2 hybrid offspring were as resistant as their C57BL/6J grandparents.     

High-fat feeding rapidly induces obesity and lipid derangements in C57BL/6N mice

C57BL/6N (B6N) is becoming the standard background for genetic manipulation of the mouse genome. The B6N, whose genome is very closely related to the reference C57BL/6J genome, is versatile in a wide range of phenotyping and experimental settings and large repositories of B6N ES cells have been developed. Here, we present a series of studies showing the baseline characteristics of B6N fed a high-fat diet (HFD) for up to 12 weeks. We show that HFD-fed B6N mice show increased weight gain, fat mass, and hypercholesterolemia compared to control diet-fed mice. In addition, HFD-fed B6N mice display a rapid onset of lipid accumulation in the liver with both macro- and microvacuolation, which became more severe with increasing duration of HFD. Our results suggest that the B6N mouse strain is a versatile background for studying diet-induced metabolic syndrome and may also represent a model for early nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.     

Linkage of the Fv-2 gene to a newly reinserted ecotropic retrovirus in Fv-2 congenic mice

Restriction enzyme and Southern gel analyses were used to determine the number and location of endogenous ecotropic retroviruses in the germ line of several mouse strains congenic at the Fv-2 gene locus. A new endogenous ecotropic provirus was observed in the germ line of B6.S (Fv-2ss) mice, in addition to the resident provirus found in its congenic partner C57BL/6 (Fv-2rr). This new provirus was similar in structure to the C57BL provirus. The SIM strain of mice, the donors of the Fv-2s allele in B6.S mice, does not contain ecotropic proviruses, suggesting that the new provirus in the B6.S mouse strain arose by germ-line reintegration during the construction of this strain. Mendelian segregation analysis indicated that this new provirus was linked to the Fv-2 gene locus on chromosome 9. In three other Fv-2s congenic mouse strains--B10.C (47N), B6.C (H-7b), and C57BL/6J Trfa, Bgsd--no additional ecotropic endogenous viruses were detected, suggesting that the reinsertion event that occurred during the construction of B6.S is not essential for the acquisition of the Fv-2s phenotype in the C57BL genetic background. Although numerous reports of germ-line reinsertions of ecotropic virus in high-virus mouse strains have been received, the present results provide definitive evidence that similar germ-line amplifications of endogenous ecotropic virus can occur in a low-virus mouse strain.     

Elimination of macrophage-specific apolipoprotein E reduces diet-induced atherosclerosis in C57BL/6J male mice

Apolipoprotein (apo)E is synthesized in atherosclerotic lesions by macrophages, however, its role in lesions is not known. Whereas apoE could exacerbate atherosclerosis by promoting macrophage uptake of cholesterol-rich lipoproteins or modulating protective inflammatory responses, it could also restrict lesion formation by facilitating cholesterol efflux out of lesions. The role of apoE was examined in lethally irradiated male C57BL/6J wild-type (WT) mice that were repopulated with bone marrow cells (BMT) from either identical C57BL/6J mice (WT+WT BMT) or C57BL/6J apoE-deficient mice (WT+E-/- BMT). This enabled us to compare normal mice with mice possessing macrophages that did not express apoE. The participation of macrophage-derived apoE in atherosclerosis was assessed by placing the mice on an atherogenic diet. Male WT+E-/- BMT mice had significantly reduced lesion area in the aortic valves (P < 0.01) compared with male WT+WT BMT mice ( approximately 22,000 vs. approximately 49,000 microm2/section, respectively). Further evaluation revealed that plasma cholesterol, lipoprotein cholesterol distribution, and plasma apoE were similar between the two groups, indicating that these known risk factors did not account for the differences in lesion area. However, the two groups were distinguished by the amount of apoE found in the lesions. ApoE antigen was expressed abundantly in WT+WT BMT lesions, whereas WT+E-/- BMT lesions contained little apoE. These findings indicate that the majority of apoE in lesions is synthesized locally by resident macrophages, and suggest that locally produced apoE can promote diet-induced atherosclerosis in male wild-type mice.     

Immune responses of different mouse strains after challenge with equivalent lethal doses of Toxoplasma gondii

Most immunological studies that utilize different strains of inbred mice following T. gondii infection fail to compensate for differences in host susceptibility to the size of the parasite innoculum. To address this concern, susceptible C57BL/6 and resistant CBA/J mice were orally infected with either an equivalent 50% lethal dose (LD50) of brain cysts of the 76K strain of T. gondii (15 cysts in C57BL/6, 400 cysts in CBA/J) or the same dose of parasites in each mouse strain. C57BL/6 mice receiving 400 cysts (LD50 of CBA/J mice) died post infection, whereas CBA/J mice that received 15 cysts (LD50 of C57BL/6 mice) survived. Parasite loads in the brains and serum Toxoplasma-specific IgG1 titers of LD50-infected C57BL/6 mice were significantly higher than those in LD50- or 15 cysts-infected CBA/J mice, whereas splenocyte proliferation to Toxoplasma antigen and the percentage of CD8 alpha+ T cells were reduced in LD50-infected C57BL/6 mice. In contrast, serum IgG2a and IgM titers, the percentage of gamma delta T cells and IFN-gamma expression of spleen of LD50-infected CBA/J mice were higher than those of either 15 cysts-infected CBA/J mice or LD50-infected C57BL/6 mice. These observations demonstrate that the immune response between LD50-infected C57BL/6 and CBA/J mice was more prominent when compared to C57BL/6 or CBA/J mice receiving the same parasite inoculum. These observations would suggest that caution must be excersized in the planning and interpretation of data when the size of the parasite inoculum has not been adjusted for mouse strain.     

Diet-induced obesity in C57BL/6J mice causes increased renal lipid accumulation and glomerulosclerosis via a sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1c-dependent pathway

Obesity and metabolic syndrome are associated with glomerulosclerosis and proteinuria, but the mechanisms are not known. The purpose of this study was to determine if there is altered renal lipid metabolism and increased expression of sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) in a model of diet-induced obesity. C57BL/6J mice that were fed a high fat, 60 kcal % saturated (lard) fat diet (HFD) developed obesity, hyperglycemia, and hyperinsulinemia compared with those that were fed a low fat, 10 kcal % fat diet (LFD). In contrast, A/J mice were resistant when fed the same diet. C57BL/6J mice with HFD exhibited significantly higher levels of renal SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 expression than those mice with LFD, whereas in A/J mice there were no changes with the same treatment. The increases in SREBP-1 and SREBP-2 expression in C57BL/6J mice resulted in renal accumulation of triglyceride and cholesterol. There were also significant increases in the renal expression of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), type IV collagen, and fibronectin, resulting in glomerulosclerosis and proteinuria. To determine a role for SREBPs per se in modulating renal lipid metabolism and glomerulosclerosis we performed studies in SREBP-1c(-/-) mice. In contrast to control mice, in the SREBP-1c(-/-) mice with HFD the accumulation of triglyceride was prevented, as well as the increases in PAI-1, VEGF, type IV collagen, and fibronectin expression. Our results therefore suggest that diet-induced obesity causes increased renal lipid accumulation and glomerulosclerosis in C57BL/6J mice via an SREBP-1c-dependent pathway.     

Apolipoprotein E predisposes to obesity and related metabolic dysfunctions in mice

Obesity is a central feature of the metabolic syndrome and is associated with increased risk for insulin resistance and typeII diabetes. Here, we investigated the contribution of human apoliproteinE3 and mouse apoliproteinE to the development of diet-induced obesity in response to western-type diet. Our data show that apolipoproteinE contributes to the development of obesity and other related metabolic disorders, and that human apolipoproteinE3 is more potent than mouse apolipoproteinE in promoting obesity in response to western-type diet. Specifically, we found that apolipoproteinE3 knock-in mice fed western-type diet for 24 weeks became obese and developed hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, hyperleptinemia, glucose intolerance and insulin resistance that were more severe than in C57BL/6 mice. In contrast, apolipoproteinE-deficient mice fed western-type diet for the same period were resistant to diet-induced obesity, had normal plasma glucose, leptin and insulin levels, and exhibited normal responses to glucose tolerance and insulin resistance tests. Furthermore, low-density lipoprotein receptor-deficient mice were more sensitive to the development of diet-induced obesity and insulin resistance than apolipoprotein E-deficient mice, but were still more resistant than C57BL/6 mice, raising the possibility that low-density lipoprotein receptor mediates, at least in part, the effects of apolipoproteinE on obesity. Taken together, our findings suggest that, in addition to other previously identified mechanisms of obesity, apolipoproteinE and possibly the chylomicron pathway are also important contributors to the development of obesity and related metabolic dysfunctions in mice.     

Susceptibility to a mouse acquired immunodeficiency syndrome is influenced by theH-2

The development of a mouse acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (MAIDS) induced following LP-BM5 MuLV infection depends on host genetic factors. Susceptible mice, such as C57BL/6J mice, develop a profound impairment of lymphoproliferative response to mitogens and hyperplasia of lymphoid organs and succumb to infection within 6 months. These changes do not occur in resistant mice, such as A/J mice. Resistance to MAIDS is a dominant trait since (C57BL/6JxA/J)F₁ hybrid mice did not develop any immune dysfunctions following infection. Genetic regulation of the trait of resistance/susceptibility to MAIDS was determined in AXB/BXA recombinant inbred (RI) mouse strains (derived from resistant A/J and susceptible C57BL/6J progenitors). Two different criteria were used to determine their resistance or susceptibility to developing MAIDS: the gross pathologic evaluation of lymphoid organs at 13–15 weeks of infection, and survival. RI mouse strains segregated into two non-overlapping groups. The first group did not develop any significant pathology, and these mouse strains were considered as resistant to MAIDS. The second group showed the virus-induced pathological changes as well as an immunological dysfunction as seen in C57BL/6J progenitor mice, and these strains were thus considered as susceptible to MAIDS. This bimodal strain distribution pattern of resistance/susceptibility to MAIDS among the RI strains suggests that this phenotype is controlled by a single gene. Linkage analysis with other allelic markers showed a strong association between resistance/susceptibility to MAIDS and theH-2 complex. Possession of theH-2 ^b haplotype derived from C57BL/6J mice was associated with susceptibility to MAIDS, while theH-2 ^a haplotype conferred resistance to the disease. This finding was confirmed by demonstrating thatH-2 ^a congenics on the susceptible C57BL/10 background were as resistant to MAIDS as A/J mice which donated theH-2 ^a locus. Gene(s) within theH-2 complex thus represent the major regulatory mechanism of resistance/susceptibility to MAIDS.     

Mapping of jog locus to the region between D6Mit104 and D6Mit336 on mouse chromosome 6.

The joggle mouse is a recessive ataxic mutant carrying an unknown mutation in a C3H/He (C3H)-derived chromosomal segment. Taking advantage of the mouse genome database, we selected 127 DNA microsatellite markers showing heterozygosity between C3H and C57BL/6J (B6) and a first round of screening for the joggle mutation was performed on B6-jog/+ partial congenic mice (N4). We identified 4 chromosomal regions in which 13 microsatellite markers show heterozygosity between C3H and B6. Then, we analyzed the genotype of these 4 chromosomal regions in mice that showed the joggle phenotype and mapped the jog locus between markers D6Mit104 (111.4 Mb) and D6Mit336 (125.1 Mb) (an interval of 13.7 Mb) on chromosome 6. By using a partial congenic strain together with the mouse genome database, we successfully mapped the chromosomal localization of the jog locus much more efficiently than by conventional linkage analysis.     

Differential regulation of leptin expression and function in A/J vs. C57BL/6J mice during diet-induced obesity

Obesity-resistant (A/J) and obesity-prone (C57BL/6J) mice were weaned onto low-fat (LF) or high-fat (HF) diets and studied after 2, 10, and 16 wk. Despite consuming the same amount of food, A/J mice on the HF diet deposited less carcass lipid and gained less weight than C57BL/6J mice over the course of the study. Leptin mRNA was increased in white adipose tissue (WAT) in both strains on the HF diet but to significantly higher levels in A/J compared with C57BL/6J mice. Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) and UCP2 mRNA were induced by the HF diet in brown adipose tissue (BAT) and WAT of A/J mice, respectively, but not in C57BL/6J mice. UCP1 mRNA was also significantly higher in retroperitoneal WAT of A/J compared with C57BL/6J mice. The ability of A/J mice to resist diet-induced obesity is associated with a strain-specific increase in leptin, UCP1, and UCP2 expression in adipose tissue. The findings indicate that the HF diet does not compromise leptin-dependent regulation of adipocyte gene expression in A/J mice and suggest that maintenance of leptin responsiveness confers resistance to diet-induced obesity.     

Gene expression changes in the host response between resistant and susceptible inbred mouse strains after influenza A infection

Inbred mouse strains exhibit differences in susceptibility to influenza A infections. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying these differences are unknown. Therefore, we infected a highly susceptible mouse strain (DBA/2J) and a resistant strain (C57BL/6J) with influenza A H1N1 (PR8) and performed genome-wide expression analysis. We found genes expressed in lung epithelium that were specifically down-regulated in DBA/2J mice, whereas a cluster of genes on chromosome 3 was only down-regulated in C57BL/6J. In both mouse strains, chemokines, cytokines and interferon-response genes were up-regulated, indicating that the main innate immune defense pathways were activated. However, many immune response genes were up-regulated in DBA/2J much stronger than in C57BL/6J, and several immune response genes were exclusively regulated in DBA/2J. Thus, susceptible DBA/2J mice showed a hyper-inflammatory response. This response is similar to infections with highly pathogenic influenza virus and may serve as a paradigm for a hyper-inflammatory host response to influenza A virus.     

The C5-sufficient A/J congenic mouse strain. Inflammatory response and resistance to Listeria monocytogenes

A/J mouse strain poorly responds to an inflammatory stimulus and is highly susceptible to Listeria monocytogenes (Lm) infection. This defect in the phagocyte inflammatory response caused by the C5 component of C deficiency was shown, by linkage analysis, to be the major reason for the extreme susceptibility of A/J mice to Lm infection. The importance of this genetic defect in C5 in relation to the poor macrophage inflammatory response and to the susceptibility to Lm infection was evaluated by developing a C5-sufficient congenic A/J mouse strain. This A/J.C5 mouse strain was studied for its inflammatory response and for its susceptibility to Lm infection. C5-sufficient congenic A/J.C5 mice showed a slight improvement (2X) in their level of macrophage inflammatory response; however, they did not mount an as strong response as the Listeria-resistant C57BL/6J mice which donated the C5 allele. When infected with Lm, A/J.C5 mice were found to be as resistant as C57BL/6J mice. These results suggest that the presence of C5 on an A/J background partially improves the deficient macrophage inflammatory response of that strain. This increase is sufficient to render the A/J.C5 mouse strain highly resistant to Listeria infection. A/J.C5 mouse strain represents a new tool for the study of the importance of C5 in resistance to infection and in the regulation of the macrophage inflammatory response.     

Analysis of reciprocal congenic lines reveals the C3H/HeJ genome to be highly resistant to ApcMin intestinal tumorigenesis

Genetic background affects polyp development in the Multiple intestinal neoplasia (Apc(Min)) mouse model. The Modifier of Min 1 (Mom1) locus accounts for approximately 50% of the variation in polyp multiplicity. We generated reciprocal congenic lines, such that the recipient C57BL/6J (B6) strain carries a donor C3H/HeJ (C3H) Mom1 allele, and the recipient C3H strain carries a donor B6 Mom1 allele. Hybrid progeny from congenic females mated to B6 Apc(Min/+) males were analyzed. A single C3H Mom1 locus on the B6 background reduced small intestinal polyp numbers by 50% and colon polyp incidence by 66% compared to their susceptible B6 Mom1(S/S)Apc(Min/+) siblings. These findings show that the C3H genome contains a resistant Mom1(R) locus. The reciprocal congenic line, which carries the susceptible B6 Mom1(S) locus on the C3H background, reduced small intestinal polyp numbers by 80% and colon polyp incidence by 95% compared to B6 Mom1(S/S)Apc(Min/+) mice. These data demonstrate that unidentified modifiers in the C3H strain can suppress intestinal polyp multiplicity in Apc(Min/+) mice, and act in the absence of a resistant Mom1(R) locus.