Erickson R P
Steele Memorial Children's Research Center, The University of Arizona, Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Tucson 85724, USA.
Bioessays. 1996 Dec;18(12):993-8. doi: 10.1002/bies.950181209.
There has always been great interest in animal models of human genetic disease, and mice provide the largest number of examples. A mutation in the homologous gene in mice does not always lead to the same phenotype as is found in man, however. Recent studies made it apparent that one mutation can have markedly different phenotypes when placed on different genetic backgrounds. This variation is due to different alleles at modifying loci in various inbred strains. Thus, if one wishes to obtain the optimal mouse model for a human disease, one needs to choose the correct genetic background as well as the correct mutation.
人们一直对人类遗传疾病的动物模型有着浓厚的兴趣，而小鼠提供了大量的实例。然而，小鼠中同源基因的突变并不总是导致与人类相同的表型。最近的研究表明，当一个突变置于不同的遗传背景中时，可能会有明显不同的表型。这种变异是由于不同近交系中修饰位点的等位基因不同所致。因此，如果想要获得针对人类疾病的最佳小鼠模型，就需要选择正确的遗传背景以及正确的突变。
