# Does the manx gene cause tail defects?



## Aquila5 (Apr 12, 2012)

I bred my manx female (no evidence of a tail at all) to a full tailed male to see if I could keep her genetics as she was the only manx I have been able to find in my part of the country. All babies popped out with tails, but there was a high rate of kinked tails in the litter. Some bubs were fine, but about half had the kinks.
So is there any evidence of manx mice producing lines that either have very fragile tails, or kinked tails?

Very interested in any information that people can give me 
Thanks


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## MojoMouse (Apr 20, 2012)

Yes, in Australia the recessive gene that produces manx (tailless) can and often will cause defects in tailed mice that carry the gene. The main defect is a kink.

There are actually several tailless genes. In the US (and maybe Europe, but I'm not sure), the manx phenotype is usually caused by the interaction of a number of these modifying genes. None of these genes by themselves will result in an absent tail - rather, they interact cumulatively as modifyers to produce a manx by shortening the tail. Consequently, as I understand it, people who breed manx will get mice with short tails as well as tailless.

In Australia, we have a different gene. However, rather than producing a shortened tail it causes an absent tail, with small variations from a short stump to a reduction in the spine length. The stump is not a problem for the mouse, but a shortened spine can cause impaired function of the hind legs.

A tail kink in an otherwise normal tail is a good indication that the mouse carries one copy of the tailless gene. In the litter you mention, the kinks would be from the gene. All the babies would be carriers, which would explain the number with tail defects.


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## Aquila5 (Apr 12, 2012)

Thank you for your reply  Very helpful. The problem I'm having is finding someone in Australia who has mice with the manx gene to outcross my mice with. I only had the one female manx and unless I cross siblings, I have no way to get the gene to express itself as I doubt any of my normal tailed mice would carry the gene.


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## MojoMouse (Apr 20, 2012)

I'm here.  I have manx. 

If there are no health problems, there's no reason why you shouldn't line breed. You can pair siblings, or a son back to his mother.


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