Homozygous mutant mice are viable, fertile, normal in size and do not display any gross physical or behavoiral abnormalities. No gene product (mRNA or protein) is detected by in situ hybridization of tibia bones sections from embryonic day 16.4 mice or by immunohistological staining of fetal skin. Homozygotes have an impaired acute inflammation response. Initial inflammatory infiltrate cell recruitment is normal, but four days after intraperitoneal injection of thioglycollate, mutant mice have a four-fold lower number of recruited granulocytes. Mutant mice have impaired chondrocyte differentiation during long bone development. Fewer hypertrophic chondrocytes but more empty lacunae and condensed chondrocytes are found in the chondrovascular junction. Chondrocytes, cartilage matrix and lacunae are morphologically abnormal. Carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis results in reduced collagen deposition when compared to wildtype controls. Mutant mice also display defective myofibroblast activation. This mutant mouse strain may be useful in studies of bone development, endochondral ossification, inflammatory response, and liver fibrosis.
This strain was transferred from the Consortium for Functional Glycomics strain collection.
It has been the experience of The Jackson Laboratory that these mice experience a transient period of hairloss between the ages of 2-6 weeks, with full hair growth returning by six weeks of age. Analysis of skin sections reveals a pathology similar to what is seen in C57BL/6 alopecia and movement of these alleles onto the C57BL/6J background may have exacerbated this phenotype.
