Peromyscus are the most common mammalian species in North America and are widely used in both laboratory and field studies. The deer mouse, P. maniculatus and the old-field mouse, P. polionotus, are closely related and can generate viable and fertile hybrid offspring. The ability to generate hybrid offspring, coupled with developing genomic resources, enables researchers to conduct linkage analysis studies to identify genomic loci associated with specific traits. We used available genomic data to identify DNA polymorphisms between P. maniculatus and P. polionotus and used the polymorphic data to identify the range of genetic complexity that underlies physiological and behavioral differences between the species, including cholesterol metabolism and genes associated with autism. In addition, we used the polymorphic data to conduct a candidate gene linkage analysis for the Dominant spot trait and determined that Dominant spot is linked to a region of chromosome 20 that contains a strong candidate gene, Sox10. During the linkage analysis, we found that the spot size varied quantitively in affected Peromyscus based on genetic background. The expanding genomic resources for Peromyscus facilitate their use in linkage analysis studies, enabling the identification of loci associated with specific traits. More specifically, we have linked a coat color spotting phenotype, Dominant spot, with Sox10, a member the neural crest gene regulatory network, and that there are likely two genetic modifiers that interact with Dominant spot. These results establish Peromyscus as a model system for identifying new alleles of the neural crest gene regulatory network.

中文翻译：

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在 Peromyscus 中使用基因组资源进行连锁分析，以及用于表征优势斑点的应用程序。

Peromyscus 是北美最常见的哺乳动物物种，广泛用于实验室和实地研究。鹿鼠 P. maniculatus 和老田鼠 P. polionotus 密切相关，可以产生有活力和可育的杂种后代。产生杂交后代的能力，加上开发基因组资源，使研究人员能够进行连锁分析研究，以确定与特定性状相关的基因组位点。我们使用可用的基因组数据来识别 P. maniculatus 和 P. polionotus 之间的 DNA 多态性，并使用多态性数据来识别导致物种之间生理和行为差异的遗传复杂性范围，包括胆固醇代谢和与自闭症相关的基因。此外，我们使用多态性数据对显性斑点性状进行候选基因连锁分析，并确定显性斑点与包含强候选基因 Sox10 的 20 号染色体区域相关。在连锁分析过程中，我们发现受影响的 Peromyscus 基于遗传背景的斑点大小在数量上变化。Peromyscus 不断扩大的基因组资源有助于它们在连锁分析研究中的使用，从而能够识别与特定性状相关的基因座。更具体地说，我们已经将毛色斑点表型，显性斑点与 Sox10（神经嵴基因调控网络的成员）联系起来，并且可能有两种遗传修饰物与显性斑点相互作用。