Gpr177Fx floxed mice possess loxP sites flanking exon 3 of the wntless homolog (Wls) gene. Mice that are homozygous for this allele are viable and fertile. The Wls gene encodes a chaperon protein with a role in regulation of Wnt protein sorting and secretion, anterior-posterior body axis development, proper formation of the skin, skeletal development and disease, tooth morphogenesis, craniofacial development and deformity, mammary gland morphogenesis and Wnt-induced tumorigenesis. When these mutant mice are bred to mice that express Cre recombinase, resulting offspring will have exon 3 deleted in cre-expressing tissues.
For example, when crossed to B6.Cg-Tg(Wnt1-cre)11Rth Tg(Wnt1-GAL4)11Rth/J mice expressing Cre recombinase in the neural tube and midbrain (Stock No. 009107), resulting mice are embryonic lethal and exhibit mid/hindbrain and craniofacial defects, including cleft palate.
