and Candidate Genes of Locus Modulate Inflammasome Activation for IL-1β Production.

We identified and genes as putative effectors of the Quantitative Trait locus (QTL) that we mapped at distal chromosome 7 named for Inflammatory response modulator 1, controlling acute inflammatory response (AIR) and the production of IL-1β, dependent on the activation of the NLRP3 inflammasome. We obtained the mapping through genome-wide linkage analysis of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) in a cross between High (AIRmax) and Low (AIRmin) responder mouse lines that we produced by several generations of bidirectional selection for Acute Inflammatory Response. A highly significant linkage signal (LOD score peak of 72) for IL-1β production limited a 4 Mbp interval to chromosome 7.