Analysis of mouse hemoglobin alpha-chain locus mutation induced by N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea.

In a mouse specific-locus test in stem-cell spermatogonia of mice after treatment with N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea (ENU), a mutation at the hemoglobin alpha-chain locus was obtained. In an original mutant, the mutation was detected as a change in band density using cellulose acetate electrophoresis, e.g. the slow moving band was much higher than that of normal F1 mice. Yet, migration of the mouse bands was similar. In isoelectric focusing, the migration of a band toward cathode was observed, indicating that the variant hemoglobin is caused by mutation at an alpha-globin chain. This mutation was found to be heritable and viable in homozygous condition from a genetic test on the mutant, suggesting that this mutation would be due to a base-pair change. According to the usual nomenclature of mutation at the hemoglobin locus, the allele symbol of this mutation was tentatively designated as Hbacc3.