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Genetic and Molecular Basis of Quantitative Trait Loci of Arthritis in Rat: Genes and Polymorphisms¹

Qing Xiong^*,, Yan Jiao^*, Karen A. Hasty^*,, John M. Stuart^,, Arnold Postlethwaite^,, Andrew H. Kang^, and Weikuan Gu^2,*,

^* Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Campbell Clinic, and Department of Pathology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163; Department of Medicine, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN 38163; Department of Computer Science and Technology, Southwest University, Chongqing 400715, People’s Republic of China; and Department of Veteran Affairs Medical Center, Memphis, TN 38163

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is an autoimmune disease, the pathogenesis of which is affected by multiple genetic and environmental factors. To understand the genetic and molecular basis of RA, a large number of quantitative trait loci (QTL) that regulate experimental autoimmune arthritis have been identified using various rat models for RA. However, identifying the particular responsible genes within these QTL remains a major challenge. Using currently available genome data and gene annotation information, we systematically examined RA-associated genes and polymorphisms within and outside QTL over the whole rat genome. By the whole genome analysis of genes and polymorphisms, we found that there are significantly more RA-associated genes in QTL regions as contrasted with non-QTL regions. Further experimental studies are necessary to determine whether these known RA-associated genes or polymorphisms are genetic components causing the QTL effect.

The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked advertisement in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

¹ This work was funded by National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases Grant AR51190 (to W.G.).

² Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Weikuan Gu, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, A331 Coleman Building, 956 Court Avenue, Memphis, TN 38163. E-mail address: wgu{at}utmem.edu

³ Abbreviations used in this paper: RA, rheumatoid arthritis; Chr, chromosome; LOD, logarithm of the odds; QTL, quantitative trait locus.

⁴ The online version of this article contains supplemental material.