Myf-5 Revisited: Loss of Early Myotome Formation Does Not Lead to a Rib Phenotype in Homozygous Myf-5 Mutant Mice

• Published in: Cell Vol. 102; no. 1; pp. 17 - 19
• Main Authors: Kaul, Axel, Köster, Markus, Neuhaus, Herbert, Braun, Thomas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 07.07.2000
• Subjects: Alleles; Animals; DNA-Binding Proteins; Fibroblast Growth Factor 6; Fibroblast Growth Factors; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; Humans; Integrases; Mice; Mice, Mutant Strains; MRF4 gene; Muscle Proteins - genetics; Muscle Proteins - physiology; Myf-5 gene; Myf-5 protein; Myogenic Regulatory Factor 5; Myogenic Regulatory Factors - genetics; Myogenic Regulatory Factors - physiology; Phenotype; Proto-Oncogene Proteins - genetics; Ribs - embryology; Trans-Activators; Viral Proteins
• ISSN: 0092-8674; 1097-4172
• DOI: 10.1016/S0092-8674(00)00006-4

Targeted mutations of the Myf-5/MRF4 gene locus in mice have led to defects in myotome formation and to severe malformations of the ribs. We have generated two new mouse strains in which the coding region of Myf-5 was replaced with the cDNA for FGF-6 and exon I of Myf-5 gene was deleted by Cre-recombinase, respectively. Both strains do not show malformations of the ribs despite a loss of early myotome formation in homozygous mice. We conclude that the rib phenotype in previously described Myf-5 and MRF4 mutant mice is caused by long-distance effects on a yet unknown gene.