Genotypic analysis of the female BPH/5 mouse, a model of superimposed preeclampsia

The Blood Pressure High (BPH)/5 mouse model has been used extensively to study the pathogenesis of preeclampsia. The female BPH/5 mouse is obese with increased adiposity and borderline hypertension, both of which are exacerbated with pregnancy. During pregnancy, BPH/5 also develop proteinuria and renal pathologies, making BPH/5 a model of superimposed preeclampsia. Thus, BPH/5 represents a large majority of women with pre-existing conditions that predisposes them to preeclampsia. We sought to explore the genome of the BPH/5 female mouse and determine the genetic underpinnings that may contribute to preeclampsia-associated phenotypes in this model. Using a whole genome sequencing approach, we are the first to characterize the genetic mutations in BPH/5 that make it unique from the closely related BPH/2 and the normotensive background strain, C57Bl/6.