title: Sfrp5 is not essential for axis formation in the mouse.
abstract: Secreted frizzled related protein (Sfrp) genes encode extracellular factors that can modulate Wnt signaling. During early post-implantation mouse development Sfrp5 is expressed in the anterior visceral endoderm (AVE) and the ventral foregut endoderm. The AVE is important in anterior-posterior axis formation and the ventral foregut endoderm contributes to multiple gut tissues. Here to determine the essential role of Sfrp5 in early mouse development we generated Sfrp5-deficient mice by gene targeting. We report that Sfrp5-deficient mice are viable and fertile. To determine whether the absence of an axis phenotype might be due to genetic redundancy with Dkk1 in the AVE we generated Sfrp5;Dkk1 double mutant mice. AVE development and primitive streak formation appeared normal in Sfrp5(-/-);Dkk1(-/-) embryos. These results indicate that Sfrp5 is not essential for axis formation or foregut morphogenesis in the mouse and also imply that Sfrp5 and Dkk1 together are not essential for AVE development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Genetics, Cell Biology and Development, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
authors.forename: Irina
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Leaf
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tennessen
authors.forename: Mahua
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mukhopadhyay
authors.forename: Heiner
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Westphal
authors.forename: William
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Shawlot
mesh_terms: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D000818:Animals; D019521:Body Patterning / Q000235:genetics*; D004707:Endoderm / Q000378:metabolism; D018390:Gene Targeting; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016296:Mutagenesis; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics*; D041742:Upper Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000196:embryology*; D000094742:Secreted Frizzled-Related Proteins
chemical_list: D048868:Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C501127:Dkk1 protein, mouse; C487972:Sfrp5 protein, mouse; D000094742:Secreted Frizzled-Related Proteins