Fine mapping of thymus enlargement gene 1 (Ten1) in BUF/Mna rats

Two polymeric autosomal loci, Tent and Ten2 regulate thymus enlargement in BUF/Mna (B) rats. Previously, we mapped Ten1 on chromosome (Chr) 1 to a 20 cM region between Myl2 and D1Mgh11, and Ten2 on Chr 13, To further characte rize the precise position of Ten1, 34 and 37 microsatellite markers, that h ave a polymorphism between the B and WYK (W) and between the B and MITE (M) strains, were used for linkage analysis of thymus enlargement in 105 (WBF1 x B) blackcross (BC) and 78 (B x BMF1) BC rats, respectively. Our data sho wed that the D1Rat168, D1Rat112, D1Rat323, D1Got186, D1Got187 and D1Got188 markers each gave a peak logarithm of odds (LOD) score of 10.68 for linkage to the thymus ratio in (WBF1 x B) BC rats, and that the D1Rat168, D1Rat197 , D1Got184, D1Got186 and D1Got188 markers each gave a peak LOD score of 7.8 2 in (B x BMF1) BC rats, The two LOD score peaks are coincident in the posi tion of the rat genetic map. All of the markers mentioned above are located in the region between Igf2 and D1Mgh11, in which synteny is conserved with human 11q15.5 and the distal end of mouse Chr 7 or with human 11q13 and th e proximal end of mouse Chr 19, Genes existing in these regions are discuss ed as candidate genes for Ten1.