Genetic control of the rate of wound healing in mice

There have been few studies of the inheritance of wound healing in mammals. In this study, we demonstrate that inbred strains of mice differ significa ntly in the rate of wound healing. Of the 20 strains tested, fast healers ( MRL/MpJ-Fas(1pr) and LG/J) healed wounds four times faster than slow healer s (Balb/cByJ and SJL/J). The genetic basis underlying the difference in the healing capacity was analysed using F-2 populations of two different cross es. We show that the wound healing is a polygenically determined quantitati ve trait with an average estimated heritability of 86%. The modes of gene a ction in these two crosses are different. In the (MRL/MpJ x SJL/J) cross, g enes regulating fast healing in MRL/MpJ mice exhibited additive effects, wh ereas these effects were suppressed by a dominant repressor gene in CBA/J m ice in the (MRL/MpJ-Fas(1pr) CBA/J) cross. Information gained from this inv estigation provides insight into further study of molecular mechanisms unde rlying the rate of wound healing in mammals.