engleski

Lobel - a mouse with a modification of a gene expressed in the central nervous system

A way to investigate the gene function in the central nervous system is to generate a mouse carrying a modification of the gene of interest. In order to find novel genes involved in development of the central nervous system and in the same time to investigate their structure and function, the gene trap method was used. By this method we produced a mouse line with an insertional mutation in a gene expressed in the central nervous system during embryonic development. The gene was named lobel. The specific structure of the gene trap vector enabled us to read the sequence of lobel and to define the expression pattern of the gene. We obtained the complete sequence of lobel cDNA isolated from mouse embryonic stem cells. Analysis of cDNA from embryonic stem cells, adult liver and brain showed alternative splicing of lobel gene. Expression pattern analysis of lobel performed by X-gal staining showed that lobel is expressed in the neural tube and in the heart of the mouse embryo, and in the brain of the adult mice. We assume that the insertion of the gene trap vector into the gene lobel caused loss of function of the Lobel protein. However, homozygous mice with the insertional mutation in both alleles are fertile and show no macroscopic malformations.

gene trap; lobel; embryo; mouse

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