ABSENCE OF LINKAGE FOR ENDOTHELIAL NITRIC-OXIDE SYNTHASE LOCUS TO BLOOD-PRESSURE IN DAHL RATS

Nitric oxide is thought to be involved in blood pressure regulation. N itric oxide synthase (NOS) genes are logical candidates for genetic hy pertension. Of the three known forms of NOS, the ''neuronal'' and ''in ducible'' Nos genes have been tested as candidate genes for causing in herited hypertension in Dahl salt-sensitive rats. In the present work, we analyzed the endothelial Nos gene, designated Nos3, directly and i ndirectly for cosegregation with blood pressure in six F-2 populations independently generated from crosses of Dahl salt-sensitive rats with rats of various other strains. The Nod alleles did not cosegregate wi th blood pressure in these populations. Therefore, Nos3 is an improbab le, if not impossible, candidate gene for causing hypertension in the Dahl salt-sensitive rat.