Identification and sequencing the juvenile spermatogonial depletion critical interval on mouse chromosome 1 reveals the presence of eight candidate genes.

Abstract In mice, the recessive, non-pleiotropic, juvenile spermatogonial depletion ( jsd ) mutation results in a single wave of spermatogenesis, followed by failure of type A spermatogonial stem cells to differentiate, rendering adult males sterile. As part of an effort to identify the gene underlying this mutation, we report here the construction of a high-resolution genetic map involving more than 1000 meioses and 24 polymorphic loci. Our data define a critical jsd interval of approximately 0.4 cM at 49 cM on mouse chromosome 1, between D1Mit 215 and 257SP6. We have constructed a physical map spanning the region comprising 24 overlapping BACs. Eighteen of these BACs have been fully sequenced, or are in draft form, allowing us to annotate approximately 2.5 Mb of DNA surrounding the jsd locus. The critical 0.4 cM jsd interval corresponds to a physical distance of ∼1.5 Mb. Eight genes have been identified in this interval, two of which appear to be possible candidates for the jsd mutation.