Robertsonian variation in Mus musculus from Central Europe, Spain, and Scotland

Abstract

Robertsonian translocations were found among mice captured on one of the Orkney islands in North Scotland, around Barcelona in Spain, and in Southern Germany around the cities of Tübingen and Ravensburg. Mice from Denmark, Poland, Astrachan in the Soviet Union, Israel, and Egypt were found to be free of Robertsonian translocations. The Robertsonian variations in mice from Scotland and Spain are probably of independent origin and most likely also unrelated to the Alpine-Apennine system. On the other hand, the variation in mice from Southern Germany may be a part of the Alpine system. Hybrid zones were found near Barcelona and near Ravensburg. In the latter almost all the mice were heterozygous for at least one Robertsonian translocation, and often for several translocations. Three out of 14 typed mice were heterozygous for four meta-centric chromosomes. The analysis revealed the existence of nine Robertsonian translocations not previously described: Rb(3.14)7Tu, Rb(4.10)8Tu, Rb(6.13)9Tu, and Rb(9.12) 10Tu in Scotland; Rb(4.14) 11Tu, Rb(6.10) 13Tu, Rb(9.11) 14Tu, and Rb(12.13)15Tu in Spain, and Rb(2.5)2Tu in Southern Germany.