Mousepox in inbred mice innately resistant or susceptible to lethal infection with ectromelia virus. V. Genetics of resistance to the Moscow strain.

The genetics of resistance to the Moscow strain of ectromelia virus was examined in crosses derived from resistant C57BL/6 (B6) and susceptible DBA/2 (D2) mice. Infection with 10(1) to 10(5) PFU of virus resulted in mortalities of 90 to 100% of D2, 0% of B6 and 0 to 3% of (B6 x D2) F1 mice by day 21. Among F1 x D2 backcross progeny, 49% of male and 18% of female mice died. Reciprocal backcrossing did not alter male or female mortality rates. These data are consistent with a single autosomal dominant gene controlling resistance to ectromelia in male mice and at least one additional dominant sex-limited gene controlling resistance in female mice. Fewer male F2 mice died than were predicted based on single-locus control and 32% of recombinant inbred (RI) strains derived from B6 and D2 progenitors expressed non-parental phenotypes. Therefore, additional resistance genes, not expressed in backcross mice, were apparently expressed in F2 mice and RI strains.