“THE MOUSE - CULTURE, HISTORY AND SCIENCE”
WAS HELD ON 9TH DECEMBER 2003
AT HOTEL NIKKO, KUALA LUMPUR

Speaker Profile Dr. Kazuo Moriwaki received his Bachelor of Zoological Science and Doctor of Science from the University of Tokyo in 1954 and 1960 respectively. In 1959, Dr. Moriwaki worked as a research scientist in the National Institute of Genetics (NIG) and assumed the posts of Laboratory Head in the Cytogenetics Department, Professor in the Cell Genetics Department and Vice Director of NIG before retiring as Professor Emeritus of NIG in 1994. Dr. Moriwaki was also a postdoctoral fellow in the University of Michigan in 1963. After his retirement from NIG, Dr. Moriwaki served as Professor in the School of Engineering at Fukuyama University, Member of the Science Council of Japan and Vice President of the Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama.

He was also the President of the Genetics Society of Japan and Japanese Association of Laboratory Animal Sciences from 1991-1993 and 1994-1999 respectively. Dr. Moriwaki was a Trustee of the Japanese Cancer Association and Governing Board Member of the International Council for the Laboratory Animal Sciences (ICLAS). In 1982, Dr. Moriwaki was confereed the Zoological Society of Japan Scientific Award.

Dr. Moriwaki is currently the Director, RIKEN Tsukuba Institute/Bioresource Center, Tsukuba, Japan

Summary of Lecture

Study of contact between wild mice and the ancient society of man. Since grain is the favourite food of wild mice, it was envisaged that mice first approached human dwelling and warehouses when man established agriculture, probably in Egypt where many bronze statues of cat have been found. In the Middle Ages, breeding of fancy mice began in Europe and Asia. In Japan, there are many proofs of fancy mice such as Netsuke, woodprints and books from the Edo era, 300-400 years ago.

During the early 20th century, medical scientists in USA and Europe began to use fancy mice in their experimental research, particular tumour research. They developed many mouse strains whose descendants contribute to biomedical research all over the world. Dr. Snell in the Jackson Laboratory , USA developed the MHC congenic strains that enabled researchers in immunology to clarify the genetic structure of mouse MHC and subsequently, the genetic structure of human MHC. In the genome age, laboratory mice are sophisticated models of man, since whole genome nucleotide sequences of both species showed more than 70% homology.

Genetic study revealed that wild mice in Europe and East Asia are genetically remote. They were likely separated genetically about one million years ago. This suggested the presence of genetic traits specific to the Asian wild mice, that has proven to be true. Wild mice could represent human migration in some cases, as demonstrated by cases in the American continent and Japanese archipelago.