title: A protocol for construction of gene targeting vectors and generation of homologous recombinant embryonic stem cells.
abstract: The completion of human and mouse genome sequencing has confronted us with huge amount of data sequences that certainly need decades and many generations of scientists to be reasonably interpreted and assigned to physiological functions, and subsequently fruitfully translated into medical application. A means to assess the function of genes provides gene targeting in mouse embryonic stem cells (ESCs) that enables to introduce site-specific modifications in the mouse genome, and analyze their physiological consequences. Gene targeting enables almost any type of genetic modifications of interest, ranging from gene insertion (e.g., insertion of human-specific genes or reporter genes), gene disruption, point mutations, and short- and long-range deletions, inversions. Site-specific modification into the genome of ESCs can be reached by homologous recombination using targeting vectors. Here, we describe a protocol to generate targeting constructs and homologous recombinant ESCs.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Lymphocyte Signalling and Development, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK.
authors.forename: Hicham
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bouabe
authors.forename: Klaus
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Okkenhaug
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D002678:Chimera; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D015925:Cryopreservation / Q000379:methods; D018274:Electroporation / Q000379:methods; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D018390:Gene Targeting / Q000379:methods*; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics*; D059765:Homologous Recombination; D051379:Mice