Title :
Targeted disruption of the tropomodulin gene in mice
Author :
Chu, X. ; Chen, J. ; Chien, K.R. ; Vera, C. ; Sung, L.A.
Author_Institution :
Dept. of Bioeng. & Med., California Univ., San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
Abstract :
Tropomodulin (Tmod) is a tropomyosin (TM)-binding protein that caps the pointed end of the actin filaments and regulates the length of actin filaments in muscle and non-muscle cells. Mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells which normally express tropomodulin survived the targeted disruption of one and two Tmod alleles. Interbreeding of Tmod +/- mice derived from Tmod +/- ES cells, however, has not generated Tmod -/- littermates, suggesting a possible lethality of the homozygous Tmod-null mutation during embryogenesis. While Tmod +/- mice appeared to have normal RBC counts, significant reduction (36%) in the platelet number and increase (32%) in platelet volume were found. The expression of tropomodulin in normal ES cells, the lack of Tmod -/- littermates, and changes found in platelets of Tmod -/- mice suggest important functional roles of tropomodulin in adult cells and tissues and the embryogenesis of mice
Keywords :
blood; cellular biophysics; genetics; muscle; proteins; actin filaments pointed end capping; adult cells; embryogenesis; littermates; mice; platelet number; platelet volume; targeted disruption; tissues; tropomodulin gene; tropomyosin-binding protein; Bioinformatics; Blood; Cells (biology); Cloning; Embryo; Genetic mutations; Genomics; Mice; Muscles; Proteins;
Conference_Titel :
[Engineering in Medicine and Biology, 1999. 21st Annual Conference and the 1999 Annual Fall Meetring of the Biomedical Engineering Society] BMES/EMBS Conference, 1999. Proceedings of the First Joint
Conference_Location :
Atlanta, GA
Print_ISBN :
0-7803-5674-8
DOI :
10.1109/IEMBS.1999.804474
