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Generation of mice with a conditional Lbh null allele
Author(s) -
Lindley Linsey E.,
Briegel Karoline J.
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
genesis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.093
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1526-968X
pISSN - 1526-954X
DOI - 10.1002/dvg.22390
Subject(s) - null allele , biology , allele , cre recombinase , gene knockin , wnt signaling pathway , conditional gene knockout , genetics , transgene , exon , genetically modified mouse , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , phenotype
Limb bud and heart (LBH) is a developmentally expressed, tissue‐specific transcription cofactor in vertebrates that acts in the WNT signaling pathway, a genetic program critical for embryogenesis and adult tissue homeostasis. Aberrant gain‐of‐function of LBH is implicated in both human congenital disease and cancer. The normal physiological function of LBH has remained elusive owing to a lack of genetic loss‐of‐function models. Here, we have generated mice with a conditional null allele of Lbh by flanking exon 2 with loxP sites ( Lbh flox ). Homozygous Lbh flox and Lbh loxP mice, in which the Neo cassette was removed through FLPe‐mediated recombination, were viable and fertile, indicating that these conditional Lbh alleles are fully functional. Lbh loxP mice were then crossed with a Rosa26‐Cre line, resulting in ubiquitous deletion of exon 2 and abolishment of LBH protein expression. Mice homozygous for the Lbh null allele ( Lbh Δ 2 ) displayed normal embryonic development and postnatal growth with morphologies indistinguishable from wild‐type littermates. However, mammary gland development, which occurs primarily after birth, was perturbed. Thus, the conditional Lbh allele will be a valuable tool to uncover the currently unknown tissue‐specific roles of LBH in postnatal development and disease. genesis 51:491–497. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.