title: Functional annotation and ENU.
abstract: Functional annotation of every gene in the mouse genome is a herculean task that requires a multifaceted approach. Many large-scale initiatives are contributing to this undertaking. The International Knockout Mouse Consortium (IKMC) plans to mutate every protein-coding gene, using a combination of gene trapping and gene targeting in embryonic stem cells. Many other groups are performing using the chemical mutagen ethylnitrosourea (ENU) or transpon-based systems to induce mutations, screening offspring for phenovariants and identifying the causative mutations. A recent paper in BMC Research Notes by Arnold et al. presents data from an ENU-based mutagenesis project that provides not only some of the first phenotype-genotype information for a large number of genes, but also a trove of information, all publicly available, that demonstrates the specificity and efficiency of ENU mutagenesis.
authors.affiliation: McLaughlin Research Institute, 1520 23rd St S, Great Falls, MT 59405, USA. tmg@mri.montana.edu
authors.forename: Teresa M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Gunn
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005038:Ethylnitrosourea / Q000633:toxicity*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009153:Mutagens / Q000633:toxicity*; D009154:Mutation
chemical_list: D009153:Mutagens; D005038:Ethylnitrosourea