A GENETIC-ANALYSIS OF NEOCORTICAL ECTOPIAS IN NEW-ZEALAND BLACK AUTOIMMUNE MICE

TWO experiments investigated the heritability of neocortical ectopias seen in 30-40% of New Zealand Black (NZB/BNJ) autoimmune mice. The fir st study examined the brains of mice from the NZB X SM/J recombinant i nbred (RI) strains. Fifteen RI inbred strains were examined and over h alf had ectopias suggesting that a major gene was involved in ectopia production. A follow-up experiment comparing the incidence of ectopias among crosses between NZB and control DBA/2 strains showed that the p redisposition to develop ectopias in NZB is a recessively inherited tr ait with incomplete penetrance.