MAPPING OF CANDIDATE GENES FOR HYPERTENSION BY FLUORESCENCE IN-SITU HYBRIDIZATION ON THE GENOME OF TRANSGENIC RATS AND MICE

Transgenic animals are new and important models for the study of candi date genes in hypertension research as well as in other fields of medi cine. For detailed genetic characterization of the transgenic animals, and to account for the symptoms arising from the insertion of transge nes in the genome, it is essential to identify these insertion sites. In this study, the insertion sites of the transgenes of candidate gene s for hypertension were identified by fluorescence in situ hybridizati on (FISH) after G-banding of the chromosomes in transgenic rats and mi ce. This technique combines high resolution G-banding and fluorescence in situ hybridization for the mapping of four different candidate gen es in six different transgenic rats as well as three different mouse t ransgenic lines. The presented results will help to draw conclusions a bout the influence of the respective integration site on transgene exp ression.