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Tenascin‐C knockout mouse has no detectable tenascin‐C protein
Author(s) -
Settles Daniel L.,
Kusakabe Moriaki,
Steindler Dennis A.,
Fillmore Helen,
Erickson Harold P.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
journal of neuroscience research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.72
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1097-4547
pISSN - 0360-4012
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-4547(19970101)47:1<109::aid-jnr12>3.0.co;2-0
Subject(s) - tenascin , knockout mouse , tenascin c , microbiology and biotechnology , biology , genetics , extracellular matrix , gene , fibronectin
A recent study by Mitrovic and Schachner (J Neurosci Res 42:710–717, 1995) reported the detection of a small amount of truncated tenascin‐C (TN‐C) in the nervous system of the TN‐C knockout mice created by Saga et al. (Genes Dev 6:1821–1831, 1992). The authors suggested that the truncated protein might be responsible for the failure to detect any phenotypic abnormalities in the knockout mice. We have reexamined the knockout mice in our laboratories by Western blot and immunocytochemistry, and have not detected any full‐length or truncated TN‐C protein. In addition, we note that the construction of the knockout gene deleted the signal sequence, so if any residual truncated protein were produced it would be trapped in the cytoplasm, and therefore inaccessible to extracellular ligands or receptors. We therefore conclude that the TN‐C knockout created by Saga et al. is a valid TN‐C null. J. Neurosci. Res. 47:109–117, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.