#mouse genetics

[kedreeva]

Do you think you could give your opinions on the recessive / lethal yellow genes in mice? Do you think you'd ever consider breeding recessive yellow? (If you haven't already.) I'm just super curious about your thoughts on them as I don't really know a lot about genetics. Do you think it's possible to breed a consistently healthy line of yellow mice? I'm just super curious to hear your thoughts as a breeder

Well, this is a kind of long answer and I'll warn it discusses animal death, so I'll put it behind a cut.

Personally, I wouldn't, but not because of ethics concerns; I just don't like any of the colors made with RY/AY. They're just not visually appealing to me. I had a couple RY pop up from the Taylor black line when I first got it, and they were just enh. A good, rich red, esp a satin red, can be a really perfect looking mouse... but by god that's years of work and it never ends because Red is such a hard phenotype to maintain and I'm just not that determined. I'm convinced that people breed for red because seeing it opens all the ferret cages in their brain, not because they can be normal about it. If you want good reds, it's like you dedicate your life (and mousery) to it or you don't do it, and my life's already dedicated to the peafowl. My mousery is already dedicated to blacks and tricolors.

As for the AY gene itself, it's a "lethal" gene in that homozygosity is lethal but it's lethal at the blastocyst stage so it's not really an ethical problem imo. If it was lethal as in the pups deteriorate and die post partum, or if it caused well developed pups to die/be stillborn such that it caused the dam health risks, then it would be a problem. But, it doesn't. You just get smaller litters because some cells die way early on and get reabsorbed. I don't really have any problems with that. Show breeders cull litters down to 4-6 pups (for dam and pup health reasons), so it's not like all of them would be turning into adults anyway.

As for the genetic issues with the adult mice, there are three major health issues. The first is obesity (sort of), and the major problem there is keeping them in breeding shape (meaning, capable of doing the do at all). Curiously, in at least one study I remember seeing, there's a difference between an obese mouse of X color mutation and an AY that's considered obese because of its natural body type; for example, an obese black mouse will likely have a shortened lifespan, whereas an AY mouse doesn't (at least not less than any other mouse color mutation) unless it's obese for an AY. So this isn't really a problem as long as the breeder is watching their diet and ensuring they stay fit for their body type.

The other two genetic problems actually are health issues related directly to the AY gene, and that's being prone to diabetes and to tumors. However, these are both things that (any good) breeders would notice, cull, and therefore not breed forward, in order to keep the line as free from them as possible. Which really isn't any different than any other line that develops health problems of any sort. People don't keep health problems. A good breeder should be and usually is aware of the potential health problems in the lines they are breeding, particularly if it's a genetic one that can't be avoided (like you can't avoid AY if you're breeding AY), and will know what to look for and intervene as soon as possible. Diabetic mice urinate excessively so it's REALLY noticeable, and tumors... well. Hard to miss. And tumors of various sorts is a fairly common "select away from/cull" problem in any mutation, it's just slightly higher risk in AY.

So the short answer, in my opinion, AY isn't really an unethical gene to work with. It's not one I'd choose to work with, but I don't think the people who do are doing anything wrong just for working with the gene at all. It comes down to the same ethics as any other mutation; working to maintain body condition and selecting for health.

Honestly, out of all the animals I've seen bred and bred myself, I think mouse breeders in general have proven themselves to be the most concerned with what's best for the animal, not the breeder. The show clubs like FMBA and AFRMA etc won't recognize standards for things like snub noses or manx tails or anything else that would potentially seriously impact QoL by nature of existing at all, and at least in the groups I'm in, the members are not shy about recognizing when health problems mean no breeding for a mouse regardless of how pretty or sweet. When someone newer asks what to do, I've never seen anyone support trying to breed a mouse with issues, or usually even keep one whose QoL would be poor. They are very familiar with the kindest thing you can do is let them go. It's a breath of fresh air from the goddamn chicken groups, who will limp along any bird that's still breathing regardless of what's best for the bird.

I think the only morph I've seen that I have an ethical problem with is the X-brindle gene, which is a "brindle" gene on the X chromosome that causes the mouse to be unable to absorb copper. This means that the males DO founder and die after birth (which means most people just humanely euthanize the male pups, they aren't out here letting them suffer that I've seen), and females get a strange coat color and curled whiskers from low copper absorption. Does have a second X gene that's clean so they still can, but it's really an unnecessary mutation to continue imo. It hasn't been recognized by the show clubs that I know of, but idk if they can be shown under normal brindle or if you can tell at a glance, as I don't really know as much about them or any of the AY gene specifics. I have basic knowledge but since i don't breed them myself it's very in passing knowledge. I know it's rarely bred or worked with in the first place, and I hope it stays that way or disappears entirely.

[hellsitegenetics]

Margaret Hilda Thatcher, Baroness Thatcher, LG, OM, DStJ, PC, FRS, HonFRSC (née Roberts; 13 October 1925 – 8 April 2013), was a British stateswoman and Conservative politician who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 to 1990 and Leader of the Conservative Party from 1975 to 1990. She was the longest-serving British prime minister of the 20th century and the first woman to hold the position. As prime minister, she implemented economic policies that became known as Thatcherism. A Soviet journalist dubbed her the "Iron Lady", a nickname that became associated with her uncompromising politics and leadership style.

String identified: agat a Tatc, a Tatc, G, , t, C, , C (é t; 13 ct 1925 – 8 A 2013), a a t tata a Cat tca a t t t g 1979 t 1990 a a t Cat at 1975 t 1990. a t gt-g t t t 20t ct a t t a t t t. A t, t cc c tat ca a Tatc. A t at t " a", a ca tat ca acat t cg tc a a t.

Closest match: Muscardinus avellanarius genome assembly, chromosome: 21 Common name: Hazel dormouse

[exocynraku]

mouse

[cosmiischillin]

An over energetic and (sometimes) acident-prone bunny, Bonnie is the bandmate on the guitar!

Bonnie lives in the rural area of Hurricane Hills as a farmhand for his family. He has two sisters, Moxie amd Spring (as what the family calls her), his mother Sunny, and father Bon. Bonnie loves to pass the time rocking out and spending his chore money in town.

The HD, unrendered version is available to all only patrons on Patreon

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[typhlonectes]

Mice could someday become venomous, suggests study on the evolution of oral venom systems

Snakes and mammals share common genetic building blocks necessary for producing venom.

What do cuttlefish, scorpions, centipedes, snakes, and primates called slow lorises have in common? All evolved the relatively rare ability to produce venom — chemical toxins that kill or incapacitate other animals through bites or stings. And in a few thousands years, there’s a chance that scientists will add mice to that list. “Oral venom systems evolved multiple times in numerous vertebrates enabling the exploitation of unique predatory niches,” the researchers noted. “Yet how and when they evolved remains poorly understood. Up to now, most research on venom evolution has focused strictly on the toxins.” In the new study, published in the journal PNAS, researchers instead focused on the gene-regulating networks associated with the production of venom in snakes. Because venom is a complex mixture of proteins, venom-producing animals have evolved a molecular system that’s capable of properly folding chains of amino acids in a highly specific way. Without this, animals wouldn’t be able to withstand the cellular stress caused by producing venom...

Read more: Mice could someday become venomous, suggests study on the evolution of oral venom systems - Big Think

photograph by George Shuklin

[tropicalcontinental]

[mewzie1999]

some blinkies of different song lyrics! how we kill stars by shaka ponk, true trans soul rebel by against me!, history sticks to your feet by modest mouse, die tonight live forever by innerpartysystem, sorceress girl (cover) by pk1, and zydrate anatomy from repo! the genetic opera

[ruthlesslistener]

Got assigned the rats at work, hopefully there'a no dead (cannibalized) litters or small naked men running around like the mice rooms today bc I'm SLEEPY

[waxingwintersun]

mousey (and jeff) cuddle pile

[roguemonsterfucker]

"Horse genetics are so complicated!"

"Rat genetics are so complicated!"

Buddy. Pal. Friendo. You don't know complicated genetics until you see dog genetics. 😵

[thepastisalreadywritten]

A bronze statue of a laboratory mouse knitting a double helix of DNA in order to honor all the mice that were sacrificed for genetic research to develop new drugs to fight diseases.

It was designed by Andrew Kharkevich and is located in Siberia, Russia.

The monument was completed on 1 July 2013, coinciding with the 120th anniversary of the founding of the city.

The monument commemorates the sacrifice of the mice in genetic research used to understand biological and physiological mechanisms for developing new drugs and curing diseases.

Sculptor Alexei Agrikolyansky, who created the statue, confessed that it was challenging to capture this moment, as the mouse was obviously not human.

Nevertheless, he had to produce a character with believable emotions while maintaining anatomical proportions, avoiding it looking like a cartoon character or a real mouse.

The DNA spiral emerging from the knitting needles winds to the left, symbolizing the still poorly understood Z-DNA - representing the scientific research that is yet to be done.

In contrast, the more common B-DNA winds to the right.

The very first photograph of DNA was captured by a woman named Rosalind Franklin (25 July 1920 – 16 April 1958) using X-ray technology, allowing James Dewey Watson (born April 6, 1928) and Francis Harry Compton Crick OM FRS (8 June 1916 – 28 July 2004) to accurately characterize the double helix.

While they went on to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1962, Franklin was not credited.

Sadly, she had passed away in 1958 from ovarian cancer, most likely caused by the high radiation exposure she endured while working with X-rays to capture the image of the double helix.

🤎🤍🤎

[hellsitegenetics]

i discovered your blog a couple of days ago and i always get so excited when you post!!! it would be cool if you analyzed this message and got a beetle (i love love love beetles 🪲🪲🪲)

String identified: c g a c a ag a aa gt ct t!!! t c aa t ag a gt a t ( t 🪲🪲🪲)

Closest match: Micromys minutus genome assembly, chromosome: 6 Common name: Eurasian harvest mouse

[exocynraku]

mud paws, mouse ear

[goryglass]

THE FINAL SQUEAKTOBER, SQUEAKTOBER 31! :3 Did a REPO! redraw of one of the opening shots for the final Squeaktober . Squeakoman, if you will.

[bezho-art]

silly sketches く⁠コ⁠:⁠彡

[andyundan]

i’m losing my shit apparently i can just order lab mice?? to my home?? like damn you were supposed to be in a study on knock out apob gene but imma just let you live in my house you’re welcome buddy