Fine mapping of Ath6, a quantitative trait locus for atherosclerosis in mice

Arh6 is a novel quantitative trait locus associated with differences in sus ceptibility to atherosclerosis between C57BL/6J (B6) and C57BLKS/J (BKS) in bred mouse strains. Combining data from an intercross and a backcross (1593 meioses) between mice from B6 and BKS strains and from The Jackson Laborat ory interspecific backcross panels, (C57BL/6J x Mus spretus) F, x C57BL/6J and (C57BL/6J x SPRET/Ei) F, x SPRET/Ei, we constructed a consensus genetic map and narrowed Ath6 to a 1.07 +/- 0.26 cM interval between the anonymous DNA marker DI2Pgn4 and the gene Nmycl. This region is near the proximal en d of murine Chromosome (Chr) 12, which is homologous to the human chromosom al region 2p24-p25. Marker order in the Ath6 region was concordant among th e two crosses and The Jackson Laboratory interspecific backcross panels. Th is high resolution map rules out candidate genes encoding apolipoprotein B, syndecan 1, and Adam17. The two Ath6 crosses have a combined potential res olution of 0.06 cM.