Cheetham Sarah A, Smith Abigail L, Armstrong Stuart D, Beynon Robert J, Hurst Jane L
Mammalian Behaviour & Evolution Group, Department of Veterinary Preclinical Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Neston, CH64 7TE, UK.
Physiol Behav. 2009 Feb 16;96(2):253-61. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.10.005. Epub 2008 Oct 17.
Individual variation in a specialised set of scent communication proteins, the major urinary proteins (MUPs), provides a genetic identity signature that underlies individual and kin recognition, and the assessment of heterozygosity in wild house mice. Here we examine the extent to which MUP variation is retained among 30 classical strains of laboratory mice from three main lineages (Castle, C57, Swiss). Normal wild-type variation in urinary MUP pattern appears to have been lost at an early stage in the derivation of the classical laboratory strains. All strains from the Castle and Swiss lineages shared the same "individual" MUP pattern, consistent with common ancestry from very few founders, while those from the C57 lineage shared a different pattern. Notably, individual variation in MUP pattern was no greater within the Swiss outbred ICR (CD-1) strain than typical for inbred strains. Total urinary protein concentration varied considerably between even closely related substrains, together with minor variation in the relative amount of each MUP isoform expressed, although the functional significance of such quantitative variation in MUP expression has yet to be established. Expression was 2-8 fold higher among males, while a MUP expressed by most male but not female wild mice was expressed by C57 males but variably among Castle and Swiss males and occasionally by females in some strains. The lack of normal variation in MUP patterns within and between strains has important implications for the use of laboratory mice in behavioural or neurophysiological research investigating social recognition or mate choice.
一组专门的气味交流蛋白——主要尿蛋白（MUPs）的个体差异提供了一种基因身份特征，它是个体识别、亲缘识别以及野生家鼠杂合性评估的基础。在此，我们研究了来自三个主要谱系（卡斯尔、C57、瑞士）的30个经典实验室小鼠品系中MUP变异保留的程度。在经典实验室品系的衍生早期，尿MUP模式的正常野生型变异似乎已经丢失。来自卡斯尔和瑞士谱系的所有品系都具有相同的“个体”MUP模式，这与极少数奠基者的共同祖先一致，而来自C57谱系的品系则具有不同的模式。值得注意的是，瑞士远交ICR（CD - 1）品系内的MUP模式个体差异并不比近交品系的典型差异更大。即使是亲缘关系很近的亚系之间，总尿蛋白浓度也有很大差异，同时每种MUP同工型表达的相对量也有微小差异，尽管这种MUP表达定量变异的功能意义尚未确定。雄性的表达水平比雌性高2 - 8倍，大多数雄性野生小鼠表达而雌性不表达的一种MUP在C57雄性中表达，但在卡斯尔和瑞士雄性中表达情况各异，在某些品系中雌性偶尔也会表达。品系内和品系间MUP模式缺乏正常变异，对于在行为或神经生理学研究中使用实验室小鼠来研究社会识别或配偶选择具有重要影响。
