Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T08:35:43.108Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Weight and age at puberty in female and male mice of strains selected for large and small body size

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 April 2009

D. S. Falconer
D. S. Falconer
Affiliation:
Department of Genetics, West Mains Road, Edinburgh EH9 3JN
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Puberty was studied in mice of the ninth selected generation of the Q-strain. There were 6 replicate lines selected for large body size (6-week weight), 6 replicates selected for small size and 6 replicate unselected controls. Female puberty was assessed by the opening of the vagina and male puberty by the first copulation plug. The sexes differed in the mean age at puberty, males being older by 13 days in the large, 4 days in the control and 8 days in the small lines. The sexes differed also in the way size affected puberty. In males the large and small lines reached puberty at the same age and both were older than the controls. In females the large lines on average were heavier and younger at puberty than the controls, and the small lines were lighter and older than the controls, though not significantly older. The replicates within each size-group, however, reached puberty at about the same weight, irrespective of their differences in growth rate. Thus, the differences of growth between the large, control and small groups affected both the weight and the age of females at puberty, but the differences of growth between the replicate lines within each size affected only the age at puberty. No explanation was found for this inconsistency between size-groups and replicates. Several lines of evidence led to the conclusion that in females puberty is partly or mainly weight-dependent, whereas in males it is almost wholly age-dependent.

Type
Research Article
Information
Genetics Research , Volume 44 , Issue 1 , August 1984 , pp. 47 - 72
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1984

References

REFERENCES

Allrich, R. D., Wang, C. T., Dickerson, G. E. & Zimmerman, D. R. (1981). Selection for increased rate of efficiency of lean growth in rats: correlated responses in reproductive performance. Journal of Animal Science 53, 1458–1464.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bakker, H., Nagai, J. & Eisen, E. J. (1977). Genetic differences in age and weight at sexual maturation in female mice selected for rapid growth rate. Journal of Animal Science 44, 203–212.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clark, B. R. & Price, E. D. (1981). Sexual maturation and fecundity in wild and domestic Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus). Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 63, 215–220.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Clutton-Brock, T. H. & Harvey, P. H. (1979). Comparison and adaptation. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B 205, 547–565.Google ScholarPubMed
Crane, D. S. D., Warnick, A. C., Koger, M. & Rodriguez, R. E. (1972). Relation of age and weight at puberty to reproductive performance in two lines of mice selected for 42-day weight. Journal of Animal Science 34, 596–600.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crichton, J. A., Aitken, J. N. & Boyne, A. W. (1959). The effect of plane of nutrition during rearing on growth, production, reproduction and health of dairy cattle. I. Growth to 24 months. Animal Production 1, 145–162.Google Scholar
Dalton, D. C., Jury, K. E., Everitt, G. C. & Hall, D. R. H. (1980). Beef production from the dairy herd. 3. Growth and reproduction of straght-bred and beef-cross Friesian heifers. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 23, 1–10. [ABA 47, 1791].CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dickerson, G. E. & Laster, D. B. (1975). Breed, heterosis and environmental influences on growth and puberty in ewe lambs. Journal of Animal Science 41, 1–9.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Drickamer, L. C. (1981). Selection for age of sexual maturation in mice and the consequences for population regulation. Behavioural and Neural Biology 31, 82–89.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Eisen, E. J. (1973). Genetic and phenotypic factors influencing sexual maturation of female mice. Journal of Animal Science 37, 1104–1111.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eklund, J. & Bradford, G. E. (1977). Longevity and lifetime body weight in mice selected for rapid growth. Nature 265, 48–49.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Falconer, D. S. (1973). Replicated selection for body weight in mice. Genetical Research 22, 291–321.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frisch, R. E. (1972). Weight at menarche: similarity for well-nourished and undernourished girls at different ages, and evidence for historical constancy. Pediatrics 50, 445–450.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frisch, R. E. (1980). Pubertal adipose tissue: is it necessary for normal sexual maturation? Evidence from the rat and human female. Federation Proceedings 39, 2395–2400.Google ScholarPubMed
Frisch, R. E., Hegsted, D. M. & Yoshinga, K. (1975). Body weight and food intake at early oestrus of rats on a high-fat diet. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 72, 4172–4176.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frisch, R. E., Hegsted, D. M. & Yoshinga, K. (1977). Carcass components at first estrus of rats on high-fat and low-fat diets: body water, protein, and fat. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 74, 379–383.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frisch, R. E. & Mcarthur, J. W. (1974). Menstrual cycles: fatness as a determinant of mininum weight for height necessary for their maintenance or onset. Science 185, 949–951.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Frisch, R. E. & Revelle, R. (1969). The height and weight of adolescent boys and girls at the time of peak velocity of growth in height and weight: longitudinal data. Human Biology 41, 536–559.Google ScholarPubMed
Frisch, R. E. & Revelle, R. (1971). The height and weight of girls and boys at the time of initiation of the adolescent growth spurt in height and weight and the relationship to menarche. Human Biology 43, 140–159.Google ScholarPubMed
Hansen, P. J., Schillo, K. K., Hinshelwood, M. M. & Hauser, E. R. (1983). Body composition at vaginal opening in mice as influenced by food intake and photoperiod: tests of critical body weight and composition hypotheses for puberty onset. Biology of Reproduction 29, 924–931.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hutchens, L. K., Hintz, R. L. & Johnson, R. K. (1982). Breed comparisons for age and weight at puberty in gilts. Journal of Animal Science 55, 60–66.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Laster, D. B. (1976). Evaluating germ plasm for beed production, Cycle 1. Progress report No. 3. Nebraska, USA; Meat Animal Research Center. [ABA 44, 5237].CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Little, W., Mallinson, C. B., Gibbons, D. N. & Rowlands, G. J. (1981). Effects of plane of nutrition and season of birth on the age and body weight at puberty of British Friesian heifers. Animal Production 33, 273–279.Google Scholar
Mathai, E. & Raja, C. K. S. V. (1976). A study on the growth rate and age at puberty of Jersey-Singhi females under different regimes of feeding. Kerala, Journal of Veterinary Science 7, 114–123. [ABA 45, 6552].Google Scholar
Mills, N. J. (1973). Developmental studies on lines of mice selected for body weight. Ph.D. Thesis, University of Edinburgh.Google Scholar
Monteiro, L. S. & Falconer, D. S. (1966). Compensatory growth and sexual maturity in mice. Animal Production 8, 179–192.Google Scholar
Nelson, R. E. (1976). Effects of postnatal environment on subsequent reproduction of female mice and swine. Dissertation Abstracts International B 36, 12. [ABA 44, 5908].Google Scholar
Pleasants, A. B., Hight, G. K. & Barton, R. A. (1975). Onset of puberty in Angus, Friesian, Friesian × Angus, and Friesian × Jersey heifers. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 35, 97–102. [ABA 44, 1158].Google Scholar
Quirke, J. F. (1979). Effect of body weight on the attainment of puberty and reproductive performance of Galway and Fingalway female lambs. Animal Production 28, 297–307.Google Scholar
Roberts, R. C. (1961). The lifetime growth and reproduction of selected strains of mice. Heredity 16, 369–381.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schilling, E. & Schroder, J. (1977). Naturliche und induzierte Geschlechtsreife bei Jungsauen nach unterschiedlicher Aufzuchtfutterung. Tierzuchter 29, 53–66. [ABA 45, 3363].Google Scholar
Soller, M., Brody, T., Eitan, Y. & Agursky, T. (1982). Growth and the onset of sexual maturity in chickens. Proceedings of 2nd World Congress on Genetics Applied to Livestock Production (Madrid) 5, 690–698.Google Scholar
Taylor, St C. (in the Press). Use of genetic size-scaling in evaluation of animal growth. International Growth Symposium, Guelph, 1982. Journal of Animal Science.Google Scholar
Wilen, R. & Naftolin, F. (1978). Pubertalfood intake and body length, weightand composition in the feed-restricted female rat: comparison with well fed animals. Pediatric Research 12, 263–267.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wyshak, G. & Frisch, R. E. (1982). Evidence for a secular trend in age of menarche. New England Journal of Medicine 306, 1033–1035.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yamada, Y. & Hanada, H. (1978). Direct and indirect selection responses for 8-week body weight in mice under two different diets. Japanese Journal of Zootechnical Science 49, 406–412.Google Scholar