High-throughput sequencing of the DBA/2J mouse genome

The DBA/2J mouse is not only the oldest inbred strain, but also one of the most widely used strains. DBA/2J exhibits many unique anatomical, physiological, and behavior traits. In addition, DBA/2J is one parent of the large BXD family of recombinant inbred strains [1]. The genome of the other parent of this BXD family— C57BL/6J—has been sequenced and serves as the mouse reference genome [2]. We sequenced the genome of DBA/2J using SOLiD and Illumina high throughput short read protocols to generate a comprehensive set of ~5 million sequence variants segregating in the BXD family that ultimately cause developmental, anatomical, functional and behavioral differences among these 80+ strains.