Development of Dickie's small eye, a mutation in the house mouse.

A new semidominant mutation in the laboratory mouse, Dickie's small eye (Dey), is described. It is localized on chromosome 2. Heterozygotes show reduced body size, small eyes with coloboma, small or lacking lens with cataract, abnormal folding of the retina and reduction of the pigment layer. The anterior chamber is usually missing. Homozygotes apparently die early in pregnancy.