Influence of sex-linked genes on embryonic sensitivity to cortisone in three strains of mice Supported by NIH grant 5 T01 GM00071. The contents of this paper form a part of the author's dissertation submitted as a partial requirement for the Ph.D. degree at the University of Michigan under the direction of Professor Morris Foster.

Abstract

It was postulated that sex-linked genes affecting embryonic sensitivity to cortisone-induced cleft palate and cortisone-induced resorption might differ between inbred mouse strains showing pronounced reciprocal effects. The three strains tested were the A/J (A), C57BL/6J (B), and C3H/HeJ (C), whose sensitivities to cortisone-induced cleft palate had been shown to be: A > C > B. The sensitivity of reciprocal A × B and B × C hybrid embryos was matroclinous; of reciprocal A × C embryos, patroclinous. Backcrosses of reciprocal F 1 hybrid males to inbred females were used to test the hypothesis of sex-linkage with respect to the incidence of cortisone-induced cleft palate, cortisone-induced resorption, and the overall level of cortisone-induced fetal damage. The results were consistent with the hypothesis that sex-linked genes affecting embryonic sensitivity to cortisone-induced cleft palate, but not to cortisone-induced resorption, differ in the three strains.