Quantitative trait loci for blood glucose confirm diabetes predisposing and protective genes, Iddm4 and Iddm5r, in the spontaneously diabetic BB/OK rat.

Several crossing studies using diabetic BB/OK and diabetes-resistant rat strains have clearly shown that the MHC class-II-genes of the RT1u haplotype (Iddm1) and the lymphopenia (Iddm2) are essential but not sufficient for type 1 diabetes development. The search for additional diabetogenic genes revealed predisposing non-MHC genes, Iddm3 and Iddm4, and a diabetes protective gene, Iddm5r, cosegregating with diabetes in the BB/OK rat subline. These findings were based on cosegregation studies comparing allele frequencies between diabetic and non-diabetic cross hybrids. Since, type 1 diabetes is characterised by hyperglycaemia we analysed 22 diabetic and 43 non-diabetic [(BB x SHR)FI x BB] backcross hybrids (28M:37F) which were already homozygous for Iddml and Iddm2 to search for quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting blood glucose in BB/OK rats. The QTL analysis using 117 microsatellite markers located on 19 autosomal chromosomes and the X chromosome, revealed suggestive linkage for blood glucose at the same position for diabetics (lod score 3.1) and non-diabetics at an age of 16 weeks at locus D6Mgh2 on chromosome 6 (lod score 1.9). In contrast, the peak for nondiabetics at an age of 28 weeks (lod score 3.1) was located in the region on chromosome 1 flanked by D1Mgh12 and D1Mit14, whereas the peak for diabetics (lod score 1.9) was found between Sa and Igf2. The distance between two peaks is ca. 50 cM. These findings are consistent with previously described results and provide strong evidence on the relevance of the described region for the development of diabetes not only in the rat, but, regarding the chromosomal homology also in human.