NOD.129(Cg)-Cd44^tm1Hbg/J

Stock number: 005878
Product name: CD44 KO
Research areas: Cancer Research, Cell Biology Research, Developmental Biology Research, Hematological Research, Immunology, Inflammation and Autoimmunity Research, Internal/Organ Research, Research Tools

Description

This Cd44 knockout strain is useful in studies of embryogenesis and lymphocyte recirculation.

Detailed description

Mice that are homozygous for the targeted mutation are viable, fertile, normal in size and do not display any gross physical or behavioral abnormalities. No gene product (mRNA or protein) is detected. Although lymphocyte development appears unremarkable, irregularities are observed in lymphocyte trafficking. Tail-injected lymphocytes derived from null animals exhibit an impaired ability to traffic to peripheral lymph nodes, and to a much greater degree, the thymus. Transcription and translation of the targeted allele subsequently lead to the synthesis of the lacZ protein under control of the 5' regulatory elements of the endogenous locus in all cells and tissues normally expressing one or several of the CD44 isoforms.

In an attempt to offer alleles on well-characterized or multiple genetic backgrounds, alleles are frequently moved to a genetic background different from that on which an allele was first characterized. It should be noted that the phenotype could vary from that originally described. We will modify the strain description if necessary as published results become available.

Development

A targeting vector containing a neomycin resistance/lacZ cassette was used to disrupt exon1 and a portion of intron 1 resulting in total loss of transcription. Endogenous regulatory elements direct the transcription of the inserted neo/lacZ cassette. The construct was electroporated into 129-derived R1 embryonic stem (ES) cells. Correctly targeted ES cells were injected into C57BL/6 blastocysts. The resulting chimeric animals were backcrossed to C57BL/6. After arrival at The Jackson Laboratory (as Stock No. 003899), SNP analysis suggested that the strain had at least one other unidentified strain in its genetic background. These mixed background were mice were then backcrossed to NOD/LtJ (Stock No. 001976) inbred mice for at least 5 generations to generate this congenic strain (Stock No. 005878).

Allele

Symbol: Cd44^tm1Hbg
Name: targeted mutation 1, Frank Hilberg
MGI accession ID: MGI:1934008
Generation method: Targeted
Attributes: Reporter; Null/Knockout
Marker symbol: Cd44
Marker name: CD44 antigen
Chromosome: 2
Strain of origin: (129X1/SvJ x 129S1/Sv)F1-Kitl⁺
Expressed genes: lacZ,beta-galactosidase,E. coli
Site of expression: lacZ expression is detected in all cells and tissues that normally express one or several CD44 isoforms.
Molecular note: A promoterless lacZ gene followed by a neomycin selection cassette was fused in frame directly following the translation start codon. Northern blot analysis on RNA derived from E13.5 homozygous embryos demonstrated that no wild-type transcript was detectable. Flow cytometry analysis on cells derived from thymus, spleen and lymph nodes of homozygous mice confirmed that no stable encoded protein was expressed on the cell surface.