The Future of Mouse QTL Mapping to Diagnose Disease in Mice in the Age of Whole-genome Association Studies

Genome-wide association analysis is emerging as a powerful tool to define novel genes and molecular pathways involved in susceptibility to human complex disorders. However, in spite of recent successes, this approach is not without its limitations, the most notable of which is inconsistent phenotype penetrance due to varied environmental exposures. Mouse models do, however, circumvent some of these drawbacks by allowing for a much higher degree of control over genetic variation and environmental exposure, and although their application to human complex genetics is not always straightforward, they do serve as a powerful means of complementing observations in human populations. Mouse quantitative trait locus mapping has proven a successful, yet technically demanding method for defining trait susceptibility. In this review, we focus upon recent advances that are both reducing the technical burden traditionally associated with quantitative trait locus mapping, and enhancing the applicability of these approaches to human disease.