X‐Linked Hypochromic Anaemia of Mice

SUMMARY An X‐linked recessive mutant gene (symbol sla ) in the mouse causes hypochromic anaemia in hemizygous males and homozygous females; heterozygous carrier females show only slight changes. A detailed assessment of the anaemia is presented here. The red cells show a wide variety of morphological changes, including target cell formation, and the MCV is strikingly reduced. The anaemia and morphological changes tend to regress with increasing age. The anaemia also responds to parenteral iron‐dextran treatment, but not to pyridoxine and other agents. These findings and preliminary results of other investigations suggest that the underlying metabolic disturbance is likely to involve some step in the supply of iron to the erythron. It thus appears that in the mouse an X‐linked locus plays a role in iron metabolism, and this mutant provides an opportunity further to elucidate mechanisms of iron transfer.