Inheritance of plasma cholesterol levels in mice
Weibust, R.S.
Genetics 73(2): 303-312
1973
ISSN/ISBN: 0016-6731 PMID: 4696527 Document Number: 61919
Mean plasma cholesterol levels were determined at 2 ages in mice from 8 unrelated strains (BALB/cJ, BDP/J, CBA/J, C57BL/6J, LP/J, RF/J, SJL/J and 129/J). Significant strain, sex and age differences were observed. Estimates of the degree of genetic determination of the trait obtained from an analysis of the strain data averaged 58 plus or minus 4% for the males and 54 plus or minus 8% for the females . Selection for high and low plasma cholesterol levels produced significantly different and distinct lines. Selection was initiated in a genetically heterogeneous population derived from an 8-way cross of the inbred strains listed above. After 5 generations of selection, the divergence of the high and low lines amounted to 4 phenotypic standard deviations of the foundation population. Realised h2 estimated from the regression of divergence on the combined cumulative selection differential was 51 plus or minus 5% for the males and 50 plus or minus 3% for the females.