GENETIC-ANALYSIS OF CEREBELLAR FOLIAL PATTERN IN CROSSES OF C57BL/6J AND DBA/2J INBRED MICE

Variation in the cerebellar folial pattern of mice is influenced by genetic elements [Inouye, M. and Oda, S., J. Comp. Neurol., 190 (1980) 357-362]. In crosses of C57BL/6J and DBA/2J inbred mice, the presence or absence of a specific fissure, the intraculminate fissure, is largely determined by a single genetic locus (Cfp-1), which is located on distal Chromosome 4 [Neumann et al., Brain Res., 524 (1990) 85-89]. In the present study, the mid-sagittal cerebellar folial pattern has been examined in crosses of C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice and in BXD recombinant inbred strains. At least three loci, including Cfp-1, are involved in variation in vermian pattern formation. Genetic variation in thyroid hormone function may be involved in the inheritance of folial pattern. A locus (Cfp-2) that appears to be partially responsible for this negative genetic correlation in mice may be linked to Afp on Chromosome 5. This hypothesis was suggested by the negative correlation between neonatal serum T4 level and the number of folia in rats given neonatal injections of thyroxine or propylthiouracil [Lauder, J.M. et al., Brain Res., 76 (1974) 33-40].