DBA/1J and DBA/1LacJ

JAX® NOTES Issue 442, Summer 1990

E.P. Les, Senior Staff Scientist

Used in Coat Color Experiments

Dr. C.C. Little, founder of The Jackson Laboratory, used mice in genetic experiments on coat color as early as 1909. From mice in these experiments several new strains were established in 1929-30. Two of these were designated DBA/12 (now called DBA/1) and DBA/212 (now called DBA/2).

Strain History

In 1955 DBA/1J mice were sent to the Medical Research Council (M.R.C.) Laboratories in England. In 1963, the M.R.C. opened the Laboratory Animal Centre (L.A.C.) in Carshalton, Surrey, and shortly afterward adopted Lac as the subline designation for mice at the L.A.C. During the period between 1955 and 1981, DBA/1 mice were maintained as conventional stock, but, were later hysterectomy derived into a specific pathogen free facility and eventually into the Frozen Embryo Bank (Festing, 1967, 1968 and Lovell, 1979).

Sent to Jackson in 1981

In 1981 DBA/1Lac mice were recovered from the Frozen Embryo Bank, and after being bred in normal fashion were sent to The Jackson Laboratory where they were incorporated by hysterectomy derivation into the Animal Resources Mutant Stocks (ARMS).

Used in Arthritis Research

Before the DBA/1Lac strain arrived at The Jackson Laboratory it was found to be useful in research on type II collagen-induced arthritis. (Courtenay, 1980). After the strain became available from The Jackson Laboratory, it was used primarily in arthritis and related disease research (Healy, et al, 1989; Wolley, et al, 1989; Punjabi, et al, 1989). However, in 1989 and 1990, many inquiries were received concerning the possible substitution of DBA/1LacJ mice for DBA/1J in research projects not related to arthritis.

No Known Genetic Differences

The Jackson Laboratory's Report of Genetic Monitoring (July-December, 1989) indicates no difference between these strains with respect to the 11 genetic markers for which both strains were tested. In addition, a computerized allele comparison matrix compiled and maintained by Dr. T. H. Roderick indicates there are no genetic differences between the DBA/1J and DBA/1LacJ strains. The analysis was based on the 35 gene loci for which information is available on the DBA/1LacJ mice (Roderick, 1990).

On the basis of the available information it is evident that DBA/1J and DBA/1LacJ are still genetically identical.

References

Festing, MFW, 1967. In Inbred Strains of Mice, No. 5, page 52.

Festing, MFW, 1968. In Mouse News Letter, No. 38, page 26.

Lovell, D, 1979. In Inbred Strains of Mice, No. 11, page 96.

Wooley PH, Luthra HS, Stuart JM, and David CS. 1981. Type II collagen-induced arthritis in mice. 1. Major histocompatibility complex (I region) linkage and antibody correlates. J. Exp. Med. 154, 688.

Courtenay, JS, et al. 1980. Immunization against heterologous type II collagen induces arthritis in mice. Nature 283:666.

Punjabi, CJ, et al. 1988. A monoclonal anti-type II collagen antibody with cross reactive anti-Ig activity specific for the F(ab1)2 fragment. J. Immunol 141(11):3819-22.

Healy, CT, et al. 1989. Experimental arthropathy induces in rhesus monkeys and DBA/1 mice by a novel method: intraperitoneal implantation of type II collagen absorbed onto nitrocellulose filters. Lab invest 60(3):462-70.

Wooley, PH, et al. 1989. Collagen-induced arthritis in mice. VI. Synovial cells from collagen arthritic mice activate autologous lymphocytes in vitro. Cell Immunol 124(2):227-38. Roderick, TH. 1990. Personal Communication.