Inherited cataracts in inbred mice

Abstract

SUMMARY: Examination of the eyes with a slit lamp revealed that 101/H mice had a coloured cataract. Crosses to C3H/HeH indicated that this was inherited as a single recessive gene which we have designated lop-2 (lens opacity-2). The related strain 129/Sv-Sl^J-CP had a phenotypically identical cataract and presumably also carries the lop-2 gene. CBA/H, CBA/CaH- + /p, CBA/H-kd and CBA/H-T6 mice had a bright white or white/green cataract that typically extended from the nucleus to the anterior cortex of the lens. Crosses to C3H/HeH indicated that this was inherited as a semi-dominant gene. However, other crosses raise the possibility that the CBA cataract is also caused by lop-2. If so, the expressivity (and penetrance of the heterozygote) is affected by genetic background. Neither lop-2 nor the gene responsible for the CBA cataract was linked to contrasted (Sl^con) on chromosome 10, so these are distinct from the Lop (lens opacity) gene. Further studies of genetic linkage are needed to clarify whether lop-2 is responsible for both the 101/H and CBA/H cataracts.