title: A new coat color mouse line for testing germline transmission of embryonic stem cells while retaining an inbred genetic background.
abstract: Most gene-targeted mice are produced on a mixed genetic background of C57BL/6 and substrains of 129/Sv. Mating chimeric mice containing 129/Sv-derived embryonic stem cells that are wild type at the agouti locus (A) in a nonagouti (a) donor genetic background with inbred C57BL/6 mice that are homozygous for the nonagouti allele allows the use of coat color to detect germline transmission. Agouti pups from such a cross indicate germline transmission of embryonic stem cell-derived genetic material. However, 129/Sv substrains and C57BL/6 are genetically and phenotypically quite different and, consequently, differing genetic contributions of the 2 backgrounds may influence the phenotype under investigation. To avoid this problem yet maintain the usefulness of the coat color system in detecting germline transmission, we have generated a new strain of mouse by selectively introducing the nonagouti locus into a 129/Sv inbred background. This mouse strain contains 129/Svderived genetic material almost entirely except for a small region surrounding the nonagouti allele. Germline transmission can be detected in the usual manner, but the agouti offspring will be almost identical to 129/Sv inbred mice. Thus, the system allows the generation of gene-targeted mutations on a 129/Sv genetic background.
authors.affiliation: Mammalian Genetics Disease Unit, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, University of Shiffield, UK.
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Barbaric
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wells
authors.forename: T Neil
authors.initials: TN
authors.lastname: Dear
mesh_terms: D054366:Agouti Signaling Protein; D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D002678:Chimera; D003116:Color; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells; D005819:Genetic Markers; D018095:Germ-Line Mutation; D006197:Hair / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D007178:Inbreeding; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics*; D023421:Models, Animal; D009154:Mutation
chemical_list: D054366:Agouti Signaling Protein; D005819:Genetic Markers; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins