Identification of Chromosomes Associated with Dental Caries Susceptibility Using Quantitative Trait Locus Analysis in Mice

Dental caries is a multifactorial, infectious disease with little known about the host genetic factors influencing susceptibility. This study aimed to identify the major candidate chromosomes for dental caries susceptibility and to detect the relevant regions within these. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis was performed on genetic crosses of C3H/HeJ (caries-resistant) and C57BL/6J (caries-susceptible) mice inoculated with Streptococcus mutans serotype c. In a genomewide scan, three suggestive QTLs were detected on chromosomes 1, 2, and 7, one significant QTL was found on chromosome 2, and one highly significant QTL was detected on chromosome 8. The likelihood ratio statistic (LRS) was raised around the marker D1Mit21 in the middle region of chromosome 1, between D2Mit255 and D2Mit311 in the distal region of chromosome 2, and the region distal to D7Mit31 on chromosome 7. A significant QTL was located between the markers D2Mit237 and D2Mit101 on chromosome 2. The LRS was highly significantly raised between markers D8Mit208 and D8Mit280 on chromosome 8, and exceeded a highly significant level between markers D8Mit211 and D8Mit280. These results suggest that major gene(s) responsible for dental caries susceptibility or resistance are located in one or more of these regions.