Zinc Metabolism in Lethal-Milk Mice

    November 1984 in “ Journal of Heredity ”
    Lawrence C. Erway, Arthur Grider
    TLDR Lethal-milk mice produce zinc-deficient milk, causing health issues in pups unless supplemented with zinc.
    The study on lethal-milk (lm) mice, a mutation in the C57BL/6J strain, revealed that lactating lm dams produced zinc-deficient milk, lethal to nursing pups unless fostered by normal dams or given zinc supplements. Zinc supplementation reduced lethality and improved some developmental issues, such as saccular otolith development, but did not enhance survival among backcross progenies. Lm mice exhibited congenital defects like delayed righting and abnormal swimming, and those over eight months old showed significant hair loss and skin issues. The study discussed the potential role of metallothionein in zinc and copper metabolism related to these pleiotropic effects.
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