title: Widely expressed Af17 is likely not required for embryogenesis, hematopoiesis, and animal survival.
abstract: As a putative transcription factor, Af17 may play a role in multiple signaling pathways. However, the Af17 expression profile during development and in adult tissues remains largely uncharacterized. The importance of Af17 function in embryogenesis, hematopoiesis, and animal survival has never been addressed before. Here we report the generation of the first Af17 mutant mouse model and characterization of the Af17 temporal and spatial expression profile in various embryonic stages and adult tissues by X-gal staining, in situ hybridization, and RT-PCR. Af17 expression is detected in specific cell populations in all stages and in multiple tissues examined. In situ hybridization yielded a consistent Af17 expression pattern by X-gal staining. Homozygous mutant mice are viable, fertile, normal in size, and do not display any gross physical, behavioral, or hematopoietic abnormalities. Thus, our studies describe the generation of the first Af17 mutant mouse model, provide the first developmental profile of Af17 expression, and reveal that Af17 may be dispensable for normal embryogenesis, hematopoiesis, and animal survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas 77030, USA.
authors.forename: Zhijing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Le
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Mary Rose
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Reisenauer
authors.forename: Hongyu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Lihe
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yujin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xia
authors.forename: Wenzheng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006410:Hematopoiesis / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D051788:Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010641:Phenotype
chemical_list: D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C486273:Mllt6 protein, mouse; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D051788:Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia Protein