GENETIC-DETERMINANTS OF CUTANEOUS MALIGNANT-MELANOMA IN SINCLAIR SWINE

The role of genetic Factors involved in the determination of risk of c utaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) in humans remains unclear owing to g enetic heterogeneity and reliance on simplistic models of inheritance. Here, we report a statistical genetic analysis of cutaneous malignant melanoma in Sinclair swine (SSCM), a unique animal model for human CM M. Using complex segregation analysis a two-locus model involving an u nknown major locus and a second locus that lies within or close to the swine leucocytic antigen (SLA) complex jointly determine risk of SSCM in pedigreed animals. These loci also influence severity of affection , accounting for approximately 20% of the phenotypic variation in quan titative tumour burden.