MGI-Mouse Facts

Mouse Facts

Mouse Genome Length Estimates |
Mouse Chromosomal Size |
Codon Usage |
Mouse Physiology

The "laboratory mouse" originated from a mixture of M. m. domesticus, M. m. musculus, and M. m. molossius subspecies. An inbred strain of the laboratory mouse is defined as a strain that has been brother/sister mated for 20 or more consecutive generations and can be traced to a single ancestral pair. For further information about inbred strains of mice see Strains, SNPs and Polymorphisms.

Mouse Genome Length Estimates

2,716,965,481 bp	Reference assembly (C57BL/6J, "golden path") length: the sum of non-redundant top level sequence regions (J:80507).
2.5 x 10⁹ bp	Mouse Genome Sequencing Consortium. 2002. Initial sequencing and comparative analysis of the mouse genome. Nature 420: 520-562.
1355.5 cM	BSS and BSB crosses: Rowe LB; Barter ME; Kelmenson JA; Eppig J. 2003. Genome Res 13(1):122-33 (J:81431).
1450 cM	Copeland, NG, et al. 1993. Science 62:57-66. (J:14384).
1360.9 cM	Dietrich, WF et al. 1996. Nature Mar 14:380(6570)149-52 ( J:34212).

Mouse Chromosomal Size

Mapped Length represents the (MGI) estimated cM position of the most distally placed locus on that chromosome. Total Estimated Size omits centromeres and telomeres which would add, on average, ~8 Mb per chromosome or ~160 Mb to the genome. It also omits uncaptured gaps between supercontigs.

Chromosome Mapped
Length (cM) Total Estimated Size (Mbp)
(NCBI build GRCm39)

1 98.5 195

2 103.9   182

3 82.7 160

4 88.6 157

5 90.2 152

6 79.0 150

7 89.1 145

8 76.2 130

9 75.1 124

10 77.9 131

11 88.0 122

12 63.9 120

13 67.3 121

14 66.4 125

15 59.0 104

16 57.8   98

17 61.3   95

18 59.4   91

19 56.9   61

X     169

Y   91

MT 16299 bp

Total:      1441.2 2723

Codon Usage

: CUTG: Codon Usage Tabulated from Genbank

Mouse Physiology

The estimates below are based on information in Biology of the Laboratory Mouse (the Staff of The Jackson Laboratory, E. Green, ed. 1966, Dover Publications, New York) and in the Mouse Phenome Database (MPD) at The Jackson Laboratory.: Note: Strain variation can affect these values significantly.
General: Body weight: average ~20 g; highly variable; Mouse Phenome Database: body weight; Body Temperature: ~36.9 C (in addition to strain, variables are age, sex, environmental conditions); Lifespan: 1.3 - 3 years; highly variable
Reproduction: Sexual maturity: after ~4 weeks of age; highly variable; Estrus cycle frequency: every ~4-5 days; Gestation: Average 19-21 days; Litter size: usually 1-10 pups - highly variable due to genetic and environmental factors; tends to increase for the first few litters, then decrease with age; Reproductive lifespan of a female: approaches 2 years in some strains; Lactation: duration ~4 weeks; Mouse Phenome Database: reproduction data
Circulation: Total serum protein: ~4-7 g/100 ml; Blood volume: ~5.5 ml per 100 g body weight; Heart rate: Adult: 632 +/- 51.3 beats per minute; Newborn: 286 +/- 56.8 beats per minute; Mouse Phenome Database: cardiovascular; Systolic pressure: 83-164 mm Hg; Blood pH: 7.3-7.4; Mouse Phenome Database: pH, blood chemistry
Respiration: Respiratory rate: ~163 per minute; Mouse Phenome Database: respiratory function; Tidal volume: ~0.15 ml
Urinary Tract: Average urine output: ~1.6 ml per 24 hr; Average water intake: ~ 5 ml per 24 hr

Contributing Projects: Mouse Genome Database (MGD), Gene Expression Database (GXD), Mouse Models of Human Cancer database (MMHCdb) (formerly Mouse Tumor Biology (MTB)), Gene Ontology (GO)
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