Optineurin (encoded by OPTN) has been associated with 3 age-dependent degenerative diseases (glaucoma, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Paget's Disease) and may play a role in Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases. The protein plays a role in protein trafficking, NF-kappaB regulation, autophagy/mitophagy, and defense against bacterial/viral infections. Exon 1 of the mouse Optn gene is flanked by loxP sites in these Optnflox conditional mutant mice. Cre recombinase-mediated excision of the floxed region results in a knock-out allele. When crossed with CMV-cre (Stock No. <a href="https://www.jax.org/strain/006054">006054</a>) to create a widespread knock-out of the gene, subtle phenotypic features of Paget's Disease of the bone (PDAB), ALS, and an inability to defend against simple viral infections have been noted by the donating laboratory.

Exon 1 of the mouse Optn gene is flanked by loxP sites in these Optnflox conditional mutant mice. Cre recombinase-mediated excision of the floxed region results in a knock-out allele useful in a range of research areas including glaucoma, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and Paget's Disease, as well as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases.