The genetics of insulin-dependent diabetes in the BB rat

Very little is known about the genes involved in the pathogenesis of IDDM. One component is known to be linked to the major histocompatibility complex, but the other components are unknown. We know from the major animals models of IDDM, both the NOD mouse and the BB rat, that the disease is under multigenic control. However, due to the size and complexity of the mammalian genome as well as to the lack of useful clues, the location and identity of the other genes remains a mystery. This is compounded by the fact that well-characterized genetic markers are not available for all regions of the mammalian genome, and it is likely that at least some of the genes of interests are located in these regions. The testing of pedigrees for the linkage of RFLP with the genetic factors involved in IDDM promises to be the most effective means of mapping, and ultimately identifying, these genes. However, the number of genes which are theoretically necessary to test for linkage makes even this approach impractical. Here, we have described here how the amount of work and time can be significantly reduced by utilizing repetitive DNA sequences as probes for the linkage of random RFLPs to diabetes. With each screening, one can simultaneously test multiple unlinked loci in the genome. Preliminary results which show promising linkage to two of the genetic components have been presented, thereby supporting the usefulness of this approach.