The Rabllafl allele has loxP sites flanking exons 3-4 of the Rab11a gene.
The Rab11a gene encodes a RAS oncogene family protein that functions as a small GTPase in intracellular membrane trafficking, and is also a component of the recycling endosome.
Mice homozygous for the Rabllafl allele are viable and fertile with no reported abnormalities. When bred to mice that express Cre recombinase, the resulting offspring may be useful in generating tissue-specific Rablla knockout.
For example, when bred to germline Cre-expressing mice, the resulting Rab11a global knockout homozygotes die in utero around the implantation stage. When Rabllafl mice are bred to Villin-Cre transgenic mice (Stock Nos. 004586 / 018963), the resulting RabllaΔIEC homozygotes lack Rablla expression in intestinal intraepithelial cells, and exhibit epithelial cell-intrinsic cytokine production, inflammatory bowel phenotype and early mortality.
