Homozygous mice are viable and fertile with no spontaneous abnormal phenotype. No endogenous gene expression is observed in liver, airway epithelium, smooth muscle, or vasculature of the lungs. Ovalbumin-induced allergic inflammation of the airway is significantly diminished in mutant mice, showing reduced eosinophil, neutrophil, and lymphocyte infiltration into bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. IgE levels in serum of ovalbumin sensitized homoyzgous mice are reduced 4-fold compared to wild-type. This targeted mutant mouse may be useful in studies of asthma, allergic inflammation of the airway, inflammatory bowel disease, injury/trauma, G protein-coupled receptors, signal transduction, and a wide variety of immunological or inflammatory diseases.
