FVB.129(Cg)-Abr^tm1Jhg/J

Stock number: 026395
Research areas: Immunology, Inflammation and Autoimmunity Research

Description

These Abr knock-out mice appear outwardly normal but have been found to be more sensitive to cockroach allergen induced asthma than wildtype mice.

Detailed description

The Abr, active BCR-related gene, encodes a small GTPase that is homologous the product of Bcr gene. The expression pattern and function of the ABR protein is similar to that of the BCR protein. These mice carry a knock-out allele of the Abr gene in which exon 3 has been replaced by a PGK-NEO cassette. No ABR protein is detected by immunoblot analysis of cerebellar extracts from homozygous mice. Homozygotes are more sensitive to cockroach allergen-induced asthma when compared to wildtype controls. Mice that are homozygous for the targeted mutation are viable and fertile.

When crossed to Bcr knock-out mice (Stock No. 026396) the resulting double mutant mice exhibit hyperactivity, circling, impaired balance and coordination, defective cerebellar foliation, impaired spatial and object recognition memory, and are more sensitive to endotoxin and hypoxia-induced pulmonary hypertension than the single knock-outs.

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. This is the case for the strain above. 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 PGK-NEO cassette was used to disrupt exon 3. The construct was electroporated into (129X1/SvJ x 129S1/Sv)F1-Kitl⁺-derived R1 embryonic stem (ES) cells. Correctly targeted ES cells were injected into C57BL/6 blastocysts. The resulting chimeric males were bred with Black Swiss female mice. The mice were then backcrossed to FVB/N for 12 generations. Upon arrival at The Jackson Laboratory, sperm was cryopreserved. To generate the living colony, an aliquot of the frozen sperm was used to fertilize oocytes from FVB/NJ female mice (Stock No. 001800). The mutant mice were then bred together to maintain the colony.

Allele

Symbol: Abr^tm1Jhg
Name: targeted mutation 1, John H Groffen
MGI accession ID: MGI:2388713
Generation method: Targeted
Attributes: Null/Knockout
Marker symbol: Abr
Marker name: active BCR-related gene
Chromosome: 11
Strain of origin: (129X1/SvJ x 129S1/Sv)F1-Kitl⁺
Molecular note: A neomycin selection cassette was inserted into exon 3. Immunoblotting confirmed the absence of the gene product in homozygous mice.