Towards a mutant map of the mouse--new models of neurological, behavioural, deafness, bone, renal and blood disorders.
With the completion of the first draft of the human genome sequence, the next major challenge is assigning function to genes. One approach is genome-wide random chemical mutagenesis, followed by screening for mutant phenotypes of interest and subsequent mapping and identification of the mutated genes in question. We (a consortium made up of GlaxoSmithKline, the MRC Mammalian Genetics Unit and Mouse Genome Centre, Harwell, Imperial College, London, and the Royal London Hospital) have used ENU mutagenesis in the mouse for the rapid generation of novel mutant phenotypes for use as animal models of human disease and for gene function assignment (Nolan et al., 2000). As of 2003, 35,000 mice have been produced to date in a genome-wide screen for dominant mutations and screened using a variety of screening protocols. Nearly 200 mutants have been confirmed as heritable and added to the mouse mutant catalogue and, overall, we can extrapolate that we have recovered over 700 mutants from the screening programme. For further information on the project and details of the data, see http://www.mgu.har.mrc.ac.uk/mutabase.
Rastan
Sohaila
S
GlaxoSmithKline, New Frontiers Science Park, Harlow, UK.
Hough
Tertius
T
Kierman
Amy
A
Hardisty
Rachel
R
Erven
Alexandra
A
Gray
Ian C
IC
Voeling
Stepanie
S
Isaacs
Adrian
A
Tsai
Hsun
H
Strivens
Mark
M
Washbourne
Rebecca
R
Thornton
Claire
C
Greenaway
Simon
S
Hewitt
Mazda
M
McCormick
Stefan
S
Selley
Rachael
R
Wells
Christine
C
Tymowska-Lalanne
Zuzanna
Z
Roby
Phil
P
Mburu
Philomena
P
Rogers
Derek
D
Hagan
Jim
J
Reavill
Charlie
C
Davies
Kay
K
Glenister
Peter
P
Fisher
Elizabeth M C
EM
Martin
Josephine
J
Vizor
Lucy
L
Bouzyk
Mark
M
Kelsell
David
D
Guenet
J L
JL
Steel
Karen P
KP
Sheardown
Steve
S
Spurr
Nigel
N
Gray
Ian
I
Peters
Jo
J
Nolan
Patrick M
PM
Hunter
A Jacqueline
AJ
Brown
Steve D M
SD
D000818:Animals; D002874:Chromosome Mapping; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D016678:Genome; D051379:Mice / Q000235:genetics*; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype