Establishment and chimera analysis of 129/SvEv- and C57BL/6-derived mouse embryonic stem cell lines.

Hundreds of new mutant mouse lines are being produced annually using gene targeting and gene trap approaches in embryonic stem (ES) cells, and the number is expected to continue to grow as the human and mouse genome projects progress. The availability of robust ES cell lines and a simple technology for making chimeras is more attractive now than ever before. We established several new ES cell lines from 129/SvEv and C57BL/6 mice and tested their ability to contribute to the germline following blastocyst injections and/or the less expensive and easier method of morula-ES cell aggregation. Using morula aggregation to produce chimeras, five newly derived 129/SvEv and two C57BL/6 ES cell lines tested at early passages were found to contribute extensively to chimeras and produce germline-transmitting male chimeras. Furthermore, the two 129S/vEv ES cell lines that were tested and one of the C57BL/6 ES cell lines were able to maintain these characteristics after many passages in vitro. Our results indicate that the ability of ES cells to contribute strongly to chimeras following aggregation with outbred embryos is a general property of early passage ES cells and can be maintained for many passages. C56BL/6-derived ES cell lines, however, have a greater tendency than 129-derived ES cell lines to lose their ability to colonize the germline.

Ablation of uroplakin III gene results in small urothelial plaques, urothelial leakage, and vesicoureteral reflux.

Urothelium synthesizes a group of integral membrane proteins called uroplakins, which form two-dimensional crystals (urothelial plaques) covering >90% of the apical urothelial surface. We show that the ablation of the mouse uroplakin III (UPIII) gene leads to overexpression, defective glycosylation, and abnormal targeting of uroplakin Ib, the presumed partner of UPIII. The UPIII-depleted urothelium features small plaques, becomes leaky, and has enlarged ureteral orifices resulting in the back flow of urine, hydronephrosis, and altered renal function indicators. Thus, UPIII is an integral subunit of the urothelial plaque and contributes to the permeability barrier function of the urothelium, and UPIII deficiency can lead to global anomalies in the urinary tract. The ablation of a single urothelial-specific gene can therefore cause primary vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), a hereditary disease affecting approximately 1% of pregnancies and representing a leading cause of renal failure in infants. The fact that VUR caused by UPIII deletion seems distinct from that caused by the deletion of angiotensin receptor II gene suggests the existence of VUR subtypes. Mutations in multiple gene, including some that are urothelial specific, may therefore cause different subtypes of primary reflux. Studies of VUR in animal models caused by well-defined genetic defects should lead to improved molecular classification, prenatal diagnosis, and therapy of this important hereditary problem.

Glucose intolerance but normal satiety in mice with a null mutation in the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor gene.

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP1) is postulated to regulate blood glucose and satiety, but the biological importance of GLP1 as an incretin and neuropeptide remains controversal. The regulation of nutrient-induced insulin secretion is dependent on the secretion of incretins, gut-derived peptides that potentiate insulin secretion from the pancreatic islets. To ascertain the relative physiological importance of GLP1 as a regulator of feeding behavior and insulin secretion, we have generated mice with a targeted disruption of the GLP1 receptor gene (GLP1R). These GLP1R-/- mice are viable, develop normally but exhibit increased levels of blood glucose following oral glucose challenge in association with diminished levels of circulating insulin. It is surprising that they also exhibit abnormal levels of blood glucose following intraperitoneal glucose challenge. Intracerebroventricular administration of GLP1 inhibited feeding in wild-type mice but not in GLP1R-/- mice; however, no evidence for abnormal body weight or feeding behavior was observed in GLP1R-/- mice. These observations demonstrate that GLP1 plays a central role in the regulation of glycemia; however, disruption of GLP1/GLP1R signaling in the central nervous system is not associated with perturbation of feeding behavior or obesity in vivo.

Rescue of the En-1 mutant phenotype by replacement of En-1 with En-2.

The related mouse Engrailed genes En-1 and En-2 are expressed from the one- and approximately five-somite stages, respectively, in a similar presumptive mid-hindbrain domain. However, mutations in En-1 and En-2 produce different phenotypes. En-1 mutant mice die at birth with a large mid-hindbrain deletion, whereas En-2 mutants are viable, with cerebellar defects. To determine whether these contrasting phenotypes reflect differences in temporal expression or biochemical activity of the En proteins, En-1 coding sequences were replaced with En-2 sequences by gene targeting. This rescued all En-1 mutant defects, demonstrating that the difference between En-1 and En-2 stems from their divergent expression patterns.

Inactivation of the mouse Huntington's disease gene homolog Hdh.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by expansion of a CAG repeat in the gene encoding huntingtin, a protein of unknown function. To distinguish between "loss of function" and "gain of function" models of HD, the murine HD homolog Hdh was inactivated by gene targeting. Mice heterozygous for Hdh inactivation were phenotypically normal, whereas homozygosity resulted in embryonic death. Homozygotes displayed abnormal gastrulation at embryonic day 7.5 and were resorbing by day 8.5. Thus, huntingtin is critical early in embryonic development, before the emergence of the nervous system. That Hdh inactivation does not mimic adult HD neuropathology suggests that the human disease involves a gain of function.

Multiple developmental defects in Engrailed-1 mutant mice: an early mid-hindbrain deletion and patterning defects in forelimbs and sternum.

During mouse development, the homeobox-containing gene En-1 is specifically expressed across the mid-hindbrain junction, the ventral ectoderm of the limb buds, and in regions of the hindbrain, spinal cord, somites and somite-derived tissues. To address the function of En-1 during embryogenesis, we have generated mice homozygous for a targeted deletion of the En-1 homeobox. En-1 mutant mice died shortly after birth and exhibited multiple developmental defects. In the brains of newborn mutants, most of the colliculi and cerebellum were missing and the third and fourth cranial nerves were absent. A deletion of midhindbrain tissue was observed as early as 9.5 days of embryonic development and the phenotype resembles that previously reported for Wnt-1 mutant mice. In addition, patterning of the forelimb paws and sternum was disrupted, and the 13th ribs were truncated. The results of these studies suggest a cell autonomous role for En-1 in generation and/or survival of mid-hindbrain precursor cells and also a non-cell autonomous role in signalling normal development of the limbs and possibly sternum.

A targeted mutation reveals a role for N-myc in branching morphogenesis in the embryonic mouse lung.

The N-myc proto-oncogene encodes a putative transcription factor that has been postulated to be involved in the control of differentiation in a number of lineages at various stages during mammalian embryogenesis. We have generated a leaky mutation in N-myc by gene targeting in embryonic stem cells. In this allele, the neo(r) gene was inserted into the first intron of N-myc, in such a way that alternative splicing around this insertion could result in the generation of a normal N-myc transcript in addition to a mutant transcript. Mice homozygous for this mutation died immediately after birth owing to an inability to oxygenate their blood. Histological examination revealed a marked underdevelopment in the lung airway epithelium, resulting in a decreased respiratory surface area. Analysis of N-myc expression in wild-type and homozygous mutant embryonic lungs suggests that N-myc is required for the proliferation of the lung epithelium in response to local inductive signals emanating from the lung mesenchyme. Homozygous mutant embryos were slightly smaller than normal and also had a marked reduction in spleen size, whereas other tissues that normally express N-myc appeared to be unaffected by the mutation. Molecular analysis revealed that normal N-myc transcripts were found in tissues from homozygous mutant embryos. Different tissues expressed the normal N-myc transcript at different levels relative to those observed in wild-type embryos, with the lowest levels being observed in the lungs. These results illustrate one way in which gene targeting can be used to generate partial loss-of-function mutations and support the importance of generating a series of alleles at a given locus to elucidate the various different functions of a gene during development.