Mice homozygous for this PWS-ICflox6kb allele are viable and fertile, with loxP sites flanking the 6 kb Prader-Willi Syndrome imprinting center (PWS-IC) region around exon 1 of the Snrpn gene . When bred to mice that express Cre recombinase, the resulting offspring will have this area deleted in the cre-expressing tissue(s). Because Snrpn is imprinted and only expressed from the paternal allele, breeding PWS-ICflox6kb males with cre-expressing females is required to generate deleted offspring with the knockout phenotype. These PWS-ICflox6kb mice be useful in studying the temporal and spatial functions of the Prader-Willi imprinting center.
When crossed to female mice carrying the Tg(CMV-cre)1Cgn allele (see Stock No. 006054), widespread Cre recombinase expression prior to implantation results in postnatal lethality.
When crossed to female mice carrying the Tg(Nes-cre)1Kln allele (see Stock No.003771), Cre recombinase expression in brain precursors cells starting at E10.5 results in a growth retardation, but is not lethal.
