Consistent with our earlier observations in the B6-apoE x 129-apoE and DBA-apoE x 129-apoE crosses, the QTLs for the aortic atherosclerosis and root atherosclerosis in the F2 from B6-apoE x DBA-apoE were largely independent [4,5,6]. The gene discussed is APOE; the disease is aortic atherosclerosis.