LA QUASI-STÉRILITÉ MÂLE DE TROIS SOUCHES DE SOURIS COMBINANT UN HAPLOTYPE t TOTAL ET UN HAPLOTYPE t PARTIEL
QUASI-STERILITY OF THREE STRAINS OF MALE MICE COMBINING A COMPLETE AND A PARTIAL t-HAPLOTYPE
Laboratoire de Génétique générale. Université de Liège, Sart-Tilman B22, B-4000 Liège (Belgique)
Laboratoire de Génétique générale. Université de Liège, Sart-Tilman B22, B-4000 Liège (Belgique)
Département de Gynécologie et Obstétrique. Université de Liège, CHR j36,
Abstract
Three mouse strains combining a partial t-haplotype and a complete one were obtained from the tailless strain T / t12 (from Columbia University). The derived partial haplotypes namely tLg7, t Lg9 and t Lg12 (Lg for Liège) combined with the t12 complete haplotype were tested for male fertility i.e. males bearing t-haplotypes were mated with control Q females (from Edinburgh University). The trivial causes of infertility i.e dyspermatogenesis, sperm abnormalities, sperm number, etc… could he first ruled out so that it can he ascertained that the infertility originates from the t complex (chromosome 17). In the progenies, there was an important proportion of completely sterile males, the remaining males showing a very reduced fertility, the so-called quasi-sterility. The proportion of completely sterile males was shown to be greater for the haplotypes t t Lg12. The fertility was checked in the quasi- sterile group and was found te be of the same order for the three strains (mean number of young per litter : 2.69 against 6.86 in the control). The distribution of the litters differred greatly for the haplotypes and the control, being bell-shaped only in this latter case. Dominant lethal mutations were investigated after mating t-haplotypes with the control Q females. Pre-implantation losses were considerably enhanced over the control, so that a part of the sterility can be ascribed to this origin. The significance of the data for the sterility of males bearing t-haplotypes is discussed.