ARBITRARY SINGLE SHORT PRIMERS IDENTIFY POLYMORPHIC DNA MARKERS THAT DISTINGUISH INBRED STRAINS OF MICE

The inbred mouse strains, Balb/c and SJL/J, have been widely used in b iomedical research to unravel the genetic basis of susceptibility to t umors, viral diseases, autoimmune encephalitis, atopic disorders and n euro-retinopathies. In this study we attempted to identify DNA polymor phisms that distinguish them using RAPD assay. Screening of the genomi c DNA of mice with a panel of 100 random decamer primers led to the id entification of 36 primers which amplified 204 strain specific RAPD ma rkers. On an average each of the selected primer amplified 11 bands of which 5.6 were strain specific. Segregation of RAPD markers in a (Bal b/c x SJL/J) Fl x SJL/J backcross progeny (n=6) suggested that the mar kers are potentially suitable for molecular genetic linkage studies. ( C) 1994 Academic Press, Inc.