NU/J

Stock number: 002019
Product name: nude
Strain synonyms: athymic nude
Research areas: Dermatology Research, Endocrine Deficiency Research, Immunology, Inflammation and Autoimmunity Research, Internal/Organ Research, Research Tools

Description

The two main defects of mice homozygous for the nude spontaneous mutation (Foxn1^nu, formerly Hfh11^nu) are abnormal hair growth and defective development of the thymic epithelium. Nude mice are also athymic; homozygous nude mice lack T cells and suffer from a lack of cell-mediated immunity. Homozygous nude mice show partial defect in B cell development.

For a hairless mouse without severe immunodeficiency, we offer mice carrying the hairless allele (Hr^hr) as Stock No. 017840.

Detailed description

The two main defects of mice homozygous for the nude spontaneous mutation (Foxn1^nu, formerly Hfh11^nu) are abnormal hair growth and defective development of the thymic epithelium. Although the mice appear hairless, they are born with functional but faulty hair growth follicles. Hair growth cycles and patterns are evident especially in pigmented mice but the faulty follicles do not allow the hair to properly erupt. Homozygous pups can be identified as young as 24 hours by their lack of whiskers or poorly developed, crinkled whiskers. Nude mice are also athymic caused by a developmental failure of the thymic anlage. Consequently, homozygous nude mice lack T cells and suffer from a lack of cell-mediated immunity. However there is not a defect in T-cell precursors, and under the right conditions some functional mature T cells can be found especially in adult mice. Because of a defect in helper T-cell activity, responses to thymus-dependent antigens when detectable are primarily limited to IgM. Homozygous nude mice show partial defect in B cell development probably due to absence of functional T cells. Other endocrine and neurological deficiencies have been reported. The use of nude mice has reduced the number of thymectomy procedures required in research projects. Homozygous nude females are not effective breeders. Ovulation starts late at 2.5 months and ends early at 4 months.

View Flow Cytometry Characterization Data for Immunodeficient JAX Strains

Learn more about the utility of nude mice and get tips for working with them in the JAX blog.

Development

The nude mutation was first recorded by Dr. N.R. Grist at the Virus Laboratory, Ruchill Hospital, Glasgow, Scotland. The mutation arose in a mouse stock that was closed but not inbred. In 1975, The Jackson Laboratory imported the nude mutation from the NIH on an outbred stock. As of 2008, the strain has been inbred for at least 100 generations.

Allele

Symbol: Foxn1^nu
Name: nude
MGI accession ID: MGI:1856108
Generation method: Spontaneous
Attributes: Null/Knockout
Synonyms: Foxnl^nu; hairless; nu; Whn^-
Marker symbol: Foxn1
Marker name: forkhead box N1
Marker synonyms: D11Bhm185e; FKHL20; Hfh11; Rnu; RONU; TIDAND; TLIND; whn
Chromosome: 11
Strain of origin: albino stock
Molecular note: A single base pair (G) deletion in exon 3 introduces a frameshift and a premature stop codon. The encoded protein is predicted to terminate upstream of the DNA-binding domain.