# A New Model for Elucidating the Genetic Mechanisms of Hybrid Male Sterility in House Mice

> **NIH NIH R21** · NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY RALEIGH · 2022 · $228,000

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
A major goal in evolutionary genetics is to identify the genetic variants that give rise to hybrid sterility,
and to understand their mechanisms of action. Hybrid sterility is important because it maintains barriers
between species in nature. The house mouse, Mus musculus, presents a unique opportunity to study
the genetics of hybrid sterility due to the substantial but incomplete reproductive isolation between two
subspecies (M.m.musculus and M.m.domesticus). Male offspring born to a musculus female and a
domesticus male often exhibit hybrid male sterility (HMS). This phenomenon can be replicated
experimentally using inbred mouse strains that are representative of each subspecies.
Two major genetic factors have been shown to cause HMS, but many of the genes involved remain
unknown. We recently identified a specific type of hybrid male that has the known HMS-associated QTL
genotypes, yet is fertile and shows no reproductive impairment. The goals of this exploratory research
project are to identify the genetic variants that rescue fertility in this hybrid, to identify the stage of
spermatogenesis affected by those variants, and to identify the molecular differences between infertile
and fertile hybrid males. These results will advance our understanding of evolutionary genetics,
reproductive biology, and meiosis.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10592916
- **Project number:** 1R21HD108654-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY RALEIGH
- **Principal Investigator:** David Lawrence Aylor
- **Activity code:** R21 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $228,000
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-23 → 2024-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10592916

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10592916, A New Model for Elucidating the Genetic Mechanisms of Hybrid Male Sterility in House Mice (1R21HD108654-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10592916. Licensed CC0.

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