The mouse dead-end gene isoform alpha is necessary for germ cell and embryonic viability.
Inactivation of the dead-end (Dnd1) gene in the Ter mouse strain results in depletion of primordial germ cells (PGCs) so that mice become sterile. However, on the 129 mouse strain background, loss of Dnd1 also increases testicular germ cell tumor incidence in parallel to PGC depletion. We report that inactivation of Dnd1 also affects embryonic viability in the 129 strain. Mouse Dnd1 encodes two protein isoforms, DND1-isoform alpha (DND1-alpha) and DND1-isoform beta (DND1-beta). Using isoform-specific antibodies, we determined DND1-alpha is expressed in embryos and embryonic gonads whereas DND1-beta expression is restricted to germ cells of the adult testis. Our data implicate DND1-alpha isoform to be necessary for germ cell viability and therefore its loss in Ter mice results in PGC depletion, germ cell tumor development and partial embryonic lethality in the 129 strain.
Bhattacharya
Chitralekha
C
University of Texas, MD Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Cancer Genetics, Houston, TX 77030, USA.
Aggarwal
Sita
S
Zhu
Rui
R
Kumar
Madhu
M
Zhao
Ming
M
Meistrich
Marvin L
ML
Matin
Angabin
A
D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies; D002470:Cell Survival; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D020964:Embryo Loss; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics* / Q000276:immunology; D011247:Pregnancy; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology
D000906:Antibodies; D018076:DNA, Complementary; C500862:Dnd1 protein, mouse; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D011994:Recombinant Proteins