
A new book has been published in the field of mouse genetics, filling a gap created since the mid nineties, when the last similar books had been published (i.e. Lee Silver, 1995), devoted to this topic. This new book, entitled “Genetics of the Mouse” has been edited by four experiencied mouse geneticists: Jean-Louis Guénet, Fernando Benavides, Jean-Jacques Panthier and Xavier Montagutelli, and has been published by Springer (2015). The authors are all related with Institut Pasteur, in Paris, France, where Jean-Louis Guénet worked many years (currently retired), where Fernando Benavides (ISTT member and at MD Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX, USA) had also worked, under the supervision of Jean-Louis Guénet, and where Jean-Jacques Panthier and Xavier Montagutelli have currently their laboratories. Jean-Louis Guénet and Fernando Benavides had also co-authored a previous text on a similar subject (Genetics of Rodents), in Spanish, published in 2003 and freely available from the ISTT web page since 2011.
This new book contains 10 chapters, as follows:
- Origins of the Laboratory Mouse
- Basic Concepts of Reproductive Biology and Genetics
- Cytogenetics
- Gene Mapping
- The Mouse Genome
- Epigenetic Control of Genome Expression
- Mutations and Experimental Mutagenesis
- Transgenesis and Genome Manipulations
- The Different Categories of Genetically Standardized
- Quantitative Traits and Quantitative Genetics
As indicated in the Springer’s book web page: ‘This book, written by experienced geneticists, covers topics ranging from the natural history of the mouse species, its handling and reproduction in the laboratory, and its classical genetics and cytogenetics, to modern issues including the analysis of the transcriptome, the parental imprinting and X-chromosome inactivation. The strategies for creating all sorts of mutations, either by genetic engineering or by using mutagens, are also reviewed and discussed in detail. Finally, a last chapter outlines the methodology used for the analysis of complex or quantitative traits. The authors also discuss the importance of accurate phenotyping, which is now performed in the mouse clinics established worldwide and identify the limits of the mouse model, which under certain circumstances can fail to present the phenotype expected from the cognate condition in the human model. For each chapter an up-to-date list of pertinent references is provided. In short, this book offers an essential resource for all scientists who use or plan to use mice in their research.‘