Inborn anemias in mice: (Annual report, 1983-1984)
The hypotranserrinemic-hemochromatosis mutation in mice discovered in our laboratory is an almost exact duplicate of human atransferrinemia. Just as in man, the condition is inherited as a recessive lethal. The disease appears to stem from a congenital deficiency in transferrin. The new mutation arose spontaneously in BALB/c mice and results in death before 12 days of age. It is characterized by stunted growth, low numbers of erythrocytes, hypochromia, and in the absence of jaundice. Treatments with Imferon or other iron preparations were uniformly unsuccessful, but the use of normal mouse serum proved successful as a therapeutic measure. We find that we are able to keep these afflicted mice alive for more than a year with small amounts of normal serum, and transferrin bands are missing on cellulose acetate electrophoresis of serum proteins from affected individuals receiving no treatment. Genetic tests indicated that the new mutation was not an allele of any of the other known iron deficiency anemias in the mouse: sex linked anemia (sla), microcytic anemia (mk), or flexed anemia (f) or any of the members of the hemolytic disease group (sph, sph/sup ha/, nb, or ja). Biochemical and genetic analyses carried out during the past year indicate that the new mutation, tentatively designated hpx is not likely to be a mutation at the transferrin (Trf) locus on Chromosome 9. We observed no unusual serum proteins on cellulose acetate electrophoresis, such as might be expected if the Trf gene had mutated. Moreover, radial immunodiffusion examination and Ouchterlony analysis did not show the presence of smaller molecules (or fragments) with transferrin antigenic specificities. Instead they showed a total loss in serum transferrin. 14 refs., 5 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Jackson Lab., Bar Harbor, ME (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC02-76EV03264
- OSTI ID:
- 6473618
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/EV/03264-T2; ON: DE87010457
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Inborn anemias in mice: (Annual report, 1981-1982)
Inborn anemias in mice: (Annual report, 1982-1983)