Professor - Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences

e-mail: micke001@umn.edu
295 Animal Science/Veterinary Medicine
1988 Fitch Avenue
University of Minnesota
St. Paul, MN 55108

Research Interests
The primary goal of Dr. Mickelson's research program is to identify the molecular bases of inherited neurologic and neuromuscular disorders in domestic animal species. In order to achieve this goal, his group played a significant role in the development of genetic linkage, physical, and comparative maps of the canine and equine genomes. Previous studies have successfully identified the genetic basis for the overo coat color gene in Paint horses that also causes lethal white foal syndrome, a gene that causes a form of canine malignant hyperthermia, and the gene responsible for glycogen storage disease IV in Quarter Horses.  His laboratory is currently mapping the loci for epilepsy in a number of different breeds of dog, exercise-induced collapse in Labrador retrievers and related breeds, and polyneuropathy in Leonbergers.  Gene-mapping efforts in horses include a glycogen storage disease known as polysaccharide storage myopathy in Quarter Horses, and recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis in Thoroughbred race horses. Many of these heritable disorders are homologous to those found in humans and other species, while others appear to be novel diseases found only in that species. In addition to defining the basic molecular pathobiology, genetic tests to specifically diagnose the conditions will be developed, and breeding strategies devised to eliminate or control the spread of these genetic disorders.

Mickelson Canine and Equine Genetics Laboratory

Selected Publications
(For a comprehensive list of  Dr. Mickelson's recent publications, refer to PubMed, a service provided by the National Library of Medicine.)

Santschi, E.M., Vrotsos, P.D., Purdy, A.K., and Mickelson, J.R.  (2001). Incidence of the lethal white foal endothelin receptor B mutation in white patterned horses: evidence for genetic heterogeneity in the overo coat pattern.  Am J Vet Res 62, 97-103.

Mlekoday, J.A., Mickelson, J.R., Valberg, S.J., Horton, J.H., Gallant, E.M., and Thompson, L.V. (2001).  Calcium sensitivity of force production and myofibrillar ATPase activity in muscles from Thoroughbred Horses with recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis.  Am J Vet Res 62, 1647-1652.

Roberts, M.C., Mickelson, J.R., Patterson, E.E., Nelson, T.E., Armstrong, P.J., Brunson, D.B., and Hogan, K.  (2001).  Autosomal dominant canine malignant hyperthermia is caused by a mutation in the gene encoding the skeletal muscle calcium release channel (RYR1).  Anesthesiology  95, 716-725.

Valberg, S.J., Ward, T.L., Rush, B., Kinde, H., Hiroragi, H., Nahey, D., Fyfe, J., and Mickelson, J.R.  (2001).  Glycogen branching enzyme deficiency in Quarter Horse foals. J Vet Intern Med 15, 572-580.

De La Corte, F.D., Valberg, S.J., MacLeay, J.M., and Mickelson, J.R.  (2002). Developmental onset of polysaccharide storage myopathy in four Quarter Horse foals. J Vet Intern Med 16, 581-587.

Patterson, E.E., Da, Y., Mickelson, J.R., Roberts, M.C., McVey, A.S., O’Brien, D.P., Johnson, G.S., Armstrong, P.J. (2003). Clinical characteristics and inheritance of idiopathic epilepsy in Vizslas.  J Vet Intern Med 17, 319-325.

Roberts, M.C., Hitte, C., Hendrickson, J.A., Hoffmann, D.E., Flickinger, G.H., Rutherford, M.S., Andre, C., Galibert, F., and Mickelson, J.R.  (2003). Characterization and mapping of expressed sequence tags from the canine brain.  Mamm Genome 14, 203-13.

Chowdhary, B.P., Raudsepp, T., Kata, S.R., Goh, G., Millon, L.V., Allan, V., Piumi, F., Guérin, G., Swinburne, J.E., Binns, M.M., Mickelson, J.R., Murray,J.D., Antczak, D.F., Womack, J.E., Skow, L.C. (2003). The first generation whole genome radiation hybrid map in the horse identifies conserved segments in human and mouse genomes. Genome Res 13, 742-751.

Ward, T.L., Valberg, S.J., Lear, T., Guerin, G., Milenkovic, D., Swinburne, J., Binns, M.M., Chowdhary, B.P., Raudsepp, R., Skow, S., and Mickelson, J.R. (2003).  Genetic mapping of GBE1 and its association with glycogen storage disease IV in American Quarter Horses. Cytogenet Genome Res 102, 201-206.

Raudsepp, T., Lee, E-J., Kata, S.R., Brinkmeyer, C., Mickelson, J.R., Skow, L.C., Womack, J.E., and Chowdhary, B.P. (2004).  Exceptional conservation of horse-human gene order on X chromosome revealed by high-resolution radiation hybrid mapping. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 101, 2386 - 2391.

Ward, T.L., Valberg, S.J., Adelson, D.L., Abbey, C.A., Binns, M.M., and Mickelson, J.R.  (2004). Glycogen branching enzyme (GBE1) mutation causing equine glycogen storage disease IV.  Mamm Genome 15, 570-577.

Annandale, E., Valberg, S.J., Mickelson, J.R., and Seaquist, E.  (2004).  Insulin sensitivity and skeletal muscle glucose transport in equine polysaccharide storage myopathy.  Neuromuscul Disord 14, 666-674.

Hendrickson, J.A., Wu, J.T., Hitte, C., Galibert, F., Mickelson, J.R., and Rutherford, M.S.  (2004).  Radiation hybrid and comparative mapping of 83 canine brain ESTs.  Animal Genetics 35, 414-417.

Mickelson, J.R., Wagner, M.L., Goh, G., Wu, J.T., Morrison, L.Y., Alexander, L.J., Raudsepp, T., Skow, L.C., Chowdhary, B.P., Swinburne, J.E., and Binns, M.M. (2004).  Thirty-seven new equine microsatellite loci assigned to the genetic linkage and radiation hybrid maps. Animal Genetics 35, 481-484.

Patterson, E.E., Armstrong, P.J., O’Brien, D.P., Roberts, M.C., Johnson, G.S., Mickelson, J.R.  (2005). Clinical description and inheritance of idiopathic epilepsy in English Springer Spaniels.  J Am Vet Med Assoc 226, 54-58.

Gustafson-Seabury, A., Raudsepp, T., Goh, G., Kata, S.R., Wagner, M.L., Tozaki, T., Mickelson, J.R., Womark, J.E., Skow, L.C., and Chowdhary, B.P. (2005). High-resolution RH map of horse chromosome 22 reveals putative ancestral vertebrate chromosome. Genomics 85, 188-200.

Dranchak PK, Valberg SJ, Onan GW, Gallant EM, MacLeay JM, De La Corte F, McKenzie EC, Ekenstedt KJ and Mickelson JR.  (2005).  Inheritance of recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis in Thoroughbreds. J Am Vet Med Assoc 227, 762-767.

Brinkmeyer-LangfordC, Raudsepp T, Lee E-J, Goh G, Schäffer AA, Agarwala R, Tozaki T, Mickelson JR, Womack JE, Skow LC and Chowdhary BP. (2005).  A high resolution physical map of equine homologues of HSA19 shows divergent evolution compared to other mammals.  Mammalian Genome 16, 631-649.

 Swinburne JE, Boursnell M, Hill G, Pettitt L, Allen T, Chowdhary BP, Hasegawa T, Kurosawa M, Leeb T, Mashima S, Mickelson JR, Raudsepp T, Tozaki T, and Binns MM.  (2006).  Single linkage group per chromosome genetic linkage map for the horse, based on two, three-generation, full-sibling, cross-bred horse reference families.  Genomics 87, 1-29.

WagnerML, Raudsepp T, Goh G, Agarwala R, Schäffer AA, Dranchak PK, Brinkmeyer-Langford C, Skow LC, Chowdhary BP, and Mickelson JR. (2006).  A 1.3-Mb interval map of equine homologs of HSA2.  Cytogenetics and Genome Research 112, 227-234.

 Dranchak PK, Ekenstedt KJ, Valberg SJ, Chowdhary BP, Raudsepp T, and Mickelson JR.  (2006).  Chromosomal assignments for the equine AMPK family genes.  Animal Genetics 27, 293-294.

Wagner ML, Valberg SJ, Ames EG, Bauer MM, Wiseman JA, M. Penedo MCT, Kinde H, Abbitt B, and Mickelson JR. (2006).  Allele frequency and likely impact of the glycogen branching enzyme deficiency gene in Quarter Horse and Paint Horse populations.  J Vet Intern Med 20, 1207-1211.

Dranchak PK, Valberg SJ, Onan GW, Gallant EM, Binns MM, Swinburne JE and Mickelson JR.  (2006).  Exclusion of Linkage of Recurrent Exertional Rhabdomyolysis in Thoroughbred Horses to the RYR1, CACNA1S and ATP2A1 Genes.  Am J Vet Res 67, 1395-1400.

Goh G, Raudsepp T, Durkin K, Wagner ML, Schaffer AA, Agarwala R, Tozaki T, Mickelson JR, Chowdhary BP.  (2007).  High-resolution gene maps of horse chromosomes 14 and 21: Additional insights into evolution and rearrangements of HSA5 homologs in mammals.  Genomics 89, 89-112.

Dranchak PK, Leiper FC, Valberg SJ, Piercy RJ, Carling D, McCue ME and Mickelson JR. Biochemical and Genetic Evaluation of the Role of AMPK in Equine Polysaccharide Storage Myopathy. Am J Vet Res 68, 1079 – 1084.

Current Funding
“Mapping the recurrent exertional rhabdomyolysis gene in Thoroughbred horses”; Morris Animal Foundation.

“Training program in muscle research”; NIH, Institutional NRSA NIAMS

“Basis of exercise-induced collapse in Labrador retrievers”; American Kennel Club, Canine Health Foundation

“Canine Epilepsy: inheritance, genes, and linkage test”; American Kennel Club, Canine Health Foundation

“Functional genomics for horses”; Morris Animal Foundation

“Genetic analysis of glycogen storage disorders in Quarter Horses”; American Quarter Horse Association

“High resolution integrated map of the horse genome”; USDA NRICGP

“Development and distribution of equine SNP chips: USDA NRICGP and Morris Animal Foundation

“Genetic basis for polyneuropathy in Leonberger dogs”

Honors and Awards
Gamma Sigma Delta, Honor Society of Agriculture, 1996.

Department of Veterinary PathoBiology Teaching Incentive Award, 1997.

College of Veterinary Medicine Collegiality Award, 1997, 1998.

Molecular Veterinary Biosciences Graduate Program Teaching Award, 2001.

Pfizer Research Excellence Award, 2004.

Current Students
Kari Ekenstedt, D.V.M., starting Ph.D. program Fall 2005.

MVB Courses and Activities
Director of Graduate Studies, Molecular Veterinary Biosciences, 1994 - 1997.

Program Advisory Committee, Molecular Veterinary Biosciences, 1997 - 2001.

Sponsor of Laboratory Rotations