Computational tools can markedly accelerate the rate at which murine genetic models can be analyzed. We developed a computational method for mapping phenotypic traits that vary among inbred strains onto haplotypic blocks. This method correctly predicted the genetic basis for strain-specific differences in several biologically important traits. It was also used to identify an allele-specific functional genomic element regulating H2-Ealpha gene expression. This functional element, which contained the binding sites for YY1 and a second transcription factor that is probably serum response factor, is located within the first intron of the H2-Ealpha gene. This computational method will greatly improve our ability to identify the genetic basis for a variety of phenotypic traits, ranging from qualitative trait information to quantitative gene expression data, which vary among inbred mouse strains.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.