Abstract
Deletions of the chromosome 2 middle regions are associated with the radiation-induced mouse acute myeloid leukemias, while murine small eye mutants delete the chromosome 2 middle regions genetically. Expecting the predisposition to acute myeloid leukemia, the tumorigenicity of the two small eye mutants, Pax6Sey3H and Pax6Sey4H was examined. The commonly deleted region of the two small eye mutants was the segment of 3.2Mb between 106 and 109Mb, where the Wt1, Rcn, Pax6, Elp4 and other fourteen novel genes located. The two mutants produced glucagon in the islets, however, they impaired to elevate the blood glucose level up when loaded with insulin. Morphological anomaly of the Wirsung duct, pancreatitis or degeneration of the pancreas was observed with age. Both mutants developed intestinal tumors spontaneously (52.0% and 32.0%), which were not observed in the normal sibs. gamma-rays and MNU shortened the latency but did not increase the frequency of the hematopoetic tumors in the mutants. The hemizygous deletions of the 3.2Mb-segment of the chromosome 2 did not contribute for the development of hematopoietic tumors mainly. [J Radiat Res 44:400 (2003)]
