Shiverer gene maps near the distal end of chromosome 18 in the house mouse

Abstract

Several mouse mutations cause unstable locomotion, tremor, seizures, and a reduced lifespan because of deficient myelin formation in the central nervous system. Mutant alleles at the shiverer (shi) locus are the only ones in this series with a selective molecular defect, namely, in myelin basic proteins (MBPs), which are virtually absent in shi homozygotes and 50% reduced in heterozygotes. In the present study, backcross and intercross matings indicate recombination of 21.2 +/- 3.3% between myelin deficient, shimld, and fused phalanges, syfp, a marker near the middle of chromosome 18. Recombination of shimld with twirler (Tw), a marker near the centromere, is 45.7 +/- 4.9%. Thus, the shi locus maps near the distal end of mouse chromosome 18 and is the first available marker for this region. Given the evidence of other workers that an MBP locus maps to the same mouse chromosome, and that part of this chromosome may be syntenic with an MBP-PEPA region on human chromosome 18, it is likely that shi is in or near an MBP gene.