The Hamp gene encodes hepcidin, an acute phase protein important for iron homeostasis and inflammation. Mice express two Hamp genes, Hamp and Hamp2, both located on mouse chromosome 7. These mice possess loxP sites on either side of Hamp exons 2 and 3. Mice that are homozygous for this allele are viable and fertile. When these mutant mice are bred to mice that express Cre recombinase, resulting offspring will have exons 2 and 3 deleted in the cre-expressing tissues.
When bred to a strain with widespread Cre recombinase expression, the resulting progeny mice exhibited increased selenium in the livers, increased manganese in liver and duodenum, and increased copper in the brain.
