Growth and differentiation of embryonic stem cells that lack an intact c-fos gene.
The c-fos protooncogene encodes a transcription factor that is thought to play a critical role in proliferation and differentiation as well as in the physiological response of mature cells to their environment. To test directly the role of c-fos in growth and differentiation, we generated mouse embryonic stem cell lines in which both copies of the c-fos gene were specifically disrupted by homologous recombination. Remarkably, the disruption of both copies of c-fos in these cells has no detectable effect on embryonic stem cell viability, growth rate, or differentiation potential. Embryonic stem cells lacking c-fos can differentiate into a wide range of cell types in tissue culture and also in chimeric mice. We conclude that despite a large body of literature suggesting an important role for c-fos in cell growth and differentiation, in at least some cell types this gene is not essential for these processes.
Field
S J
SJ
Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115.
Johnson
R S
RS
Mortensen
R M
RM
Papaioannou
V E
VE
Spiegelman
B M
BM
Greenberg
M E
ME
D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics*; D002455:Cell Division / Q000235:genetics*; D002934:Cinnamates; D004352:Drug Resistance, Microbial / Q000235:genetics; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian; D017353:Gene Deletion; D016762:Genes, fos; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D005838:Genotype; D006921:Hygromycin B / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D019868:Kanamycin Kinase; D007700:Kinetics; D051379:Mice; D010770:Phosphotransferases / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D014162:Transfection
D002934:Cinnamates; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D006921:Hygromycin B; C026273:hygromycin A; D010770:Phosphotransferases; D019868:Kanamycin Kinase