Whiskers Amiss: A New Vibrissae and Hair Mutation Near the Krt1 Cluster on Mouse Chromosome 11

The study identified a new spontaneous recessive mutation called "whiskers amiss" (wam) in the SELH/Bc strain of mice, which resulted in askew, kinked, or curled whiskers and disheveled body hair due to disoriented guard hairs. This mutation was mapped to the type I keratin cluster on Chromosome 11, within a 6-cM segment. Unlike other hair mutations in the Krt1 region, wam exhibited a unique phenotype and was not amenable to complementation tests due to its recessive nature. Some aging wam homozygotes also showed scabbing and tissue loss, suggesting a potential model for a genetic ectodermal disorder. The SELH/Bc strain was noted for a high rate of spontaneous mutations, with wam being the sixth described.