The Gata6 gene encodes a zinc finger transcription factor that is important in heart and endoderm development. These knock-in/knock-out mice express Venus variant Yellow Fluorescent Protein from the endogenous Gata6 locus.
Venus is detected in mesoderm and endoderm progenitor cells after endoderm differentiation in heterozygous embryos. Venus fluorescence is similar to endogenous Gata6 expression patterns. In heterozygous E8.25 embryos fluorescence is not detected in lateral mesoderm derived endocardium and body wall, but is detected in the yolk sac. In adult heterozygotes, fluorescence is detected in heart, lung, pancreas, liver, gall bladder, ovaries, adrenal glands, stomach (mucosa and mesothelium of the gastric corpus and small intestine), bladder, and skin (sebaceous glands).
Mice that are heterozygous for the targeted mutation are viable, and may have reduced fertility (the number of adult heterozygotes are lower than the expected Mendelian ratio). Homozygotes are not viable. No Gata6 gene product (protein) is detected by immunostaining/immunofluorescence of homozygous E3.5 embryos.
