Morphogenetical characteristics of Korean wild rat (Rattus norvegicus)

Seong, Je-Kyung; Yun, Young-min; Park, Ji-young; Oh, Seung-hyun; Do, Seon-gil; Jin, Hee-kyung; Hyun, Byung-hwa; Suh, Jun-gyo; Oh, Yang-seok

Korean Journal of Veterinary Research 1999;39(5):896-907.

Je-Kyung Seong¹, Young-min Yun¹, Ji-young Park¹, Seung-hyun Oh¹, Seon-gil Do², Hee-kyung Jin², Byung-hwa Hyun³, Jun-gyo Suh², Yang-seok Oh²

¹Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine, Medical Research Center, Yonsei University College of Medicine
²Experimental Animal Center, College of Medicine, Hallym University
³Bioresource Program, KRIBB, KIST

한국 야생 랫드의 형태 유전학적 특성

성제경¹, 윤영민¹, 박지영¹, 오승현¹, 도선길², 진희경², 현병화³, 서준교², 오양석²

¹연세대학교 의과대학 임상의학연구센터 실험동물부
²한림대학교 의과대학 실험동물부
³생명공학연구소 유전자원센터

Abstract

The morphometrical characteristics such as external measurements and mandible size assessment in mice and rats have to be highly heritable and sufficiently variable between strains in order to calculate a strain specific profiles. The coat color of Korean wild rats were observed and morphometric analysis of external measurements were carried out on Korean wild rats compared to laboratory strains in order to clarify the genetic characteristics of Korean wild rats and to establish background data as a domestication of Korean wild rats for new laboratory strain. Korean wild rats were captured from Chunchon and Hoengsong. 4 inbred and 1 outbred strains of rats were used in this study for the comparison of genetic characteristic of Korean wild rats. Total body length, head length, tail length, hind foot length and ear length were measured and then statistical analysis were carried out by discrimiant analysis. The coat color of Korean wild rat showed golden white in ventral portion and dark agouti in dorsal portion. Korean wild rats could be distinguished from the other laboratory strains distinctly by morphogenetical analysis. There was significant variations among Korean wild rat compared to those of the other laboratory strains of rat. This study may provide that Korean wild rats have a unique genetic characterization compared to those of other inbred strains of rats based on morphogenetical characteristics by external measurements.

Key Words: morphogenetics, Korean wild rat, Rattus norvegicus, discriminant analysis