Evidence of genetic heterogeneity in a BALB/c mouse colony as determined by DNA fingerprinting

A genetic monitoring of the BALB/c mouse foundation colony in our animal facility was carried out. The techniques of choice were skin grafting, coat colour test, flow cytometric analysis for H2 antigens (loci H2-D and H2-A), electrophoretic analysis of isoenzymes (loci Idh1, Pep3, Es3 and Mod1), PCR-amplified microsatellites (loci Igh-V, Ngfg, lau, Crp, Igh, D16Mit5, D3Mit49 and D17Mit16) and DNA fingerprinting (multilocus probes 33.6, 33.15 and (CAC)(5)). No evidence of genetic contamination was found, ruling out the possibility of an outcross with AKR, the other albino strain maintained at the facility. Nevertheless, DNA fingerprint patterns revealed evidence of genetic heterogeneity in four out of nine lines of the nucleus colony, interpreted as minisatellite mutations favoured for a single line system with more than 40 generations of separation from the ancestral pair. These mice are mainly used in cancer and immunological research within the institute.