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Nucleostemin (NS) is a putative GTPase expressed preferentially in the nucleoli of neuronal and embryonic stem cells and several cancer cell lines. Transfection and knockdown studies indicated that NS controls the proliferation of these cells by interacting with the p53 tumor suppressor protein and regulating its activity. To assess the physiological role of NS in vivo, we generated a mutant mouse line with a specific gene trap event that inactivates the NS allele. The corresponding NS(-/-) embryos died around embryonic day 4. Analyses of NS mutant blastocysts indicated that NS is not required to maintain pluripotency, nucleolar integrity, or survival of the embryonic stem cells. However, the homozygous mutant blastocysts failed to enter S phase even in the absence of functional p53. Haploid insufficiency of NS in mouse embryonic fibroblasts leads to decreased cell proliferation. NS also functions in early amphibian development to control cell proliferation of neural progenitor cells. Our results show that NS has a unique ability, derived from an ancestral function, to control the proliferation rate of stem/progenitor cells in vivo independently of p53.

International audience; A type of retroviral gene trap vectors has been developed that can induce conditional mutations in most genes expressed in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells. The vectors rely on directional site-specific recombination systems that can repair and re-induce gene trap mutations when activated in succession. After the gene traps are inserted into the mouse genome, genetic mutations can be produced at a particular time and place in somatic cells. In addition to their conditional features, the vectors create multipurpose alleles amenable to a wide range of post-insertional modifications. Here we have used these directional recombination vectors to assemble the largest library of ES cell lines with conditional mutations in single genes yet assembled, presently totaling 1,000 unique genes. The trapped ES cell lines, which can be ordered from the German Gene Trap Consortium, are freely available to the scientific community.

A major challenge of the postgenomic era is the functional characterization of every single gene within the mammalian genome. In an effort to address this challenge, we assembled a collection of mutations in mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells, which is the largest publicly accessible collection of such mutations to date. Using four different gene-trap vectors, we generated 5,142 sequences adjacent to the gene-trap integration sites (gene-trap sequence tags; http://genetrap.de ) from >11,000 ES cell clones. Although most of the gene-trap vector insertions occurred randomly throughout the genome, we found both vector-independent and vector-specific integration “hot spots.” Because >50% of the hot spots were vector-specific, we conclude that the most effective way to saturate the mouse genome with gene-trap insertions is by using a combination of gene-trap vectors. When a random sample of gene-trap integrations was passaged to the germ line, 59% (17 of 29) produced an observable phenotype in transgenic mice, a frequency similar to that achieved by conventional gene targeting. Thus, gene trapping allows a large-scale and cost-effective production of ES cell clones with mutations distributed throughout the genome, a resource likely to accelerate genome annotation and the in vivo modeling of human disease.

The molecular mechanisms maintaining glomerular filtration barrier are under intensive study. This study describes a mutant Nphs1 mouse line generated by gene-trapping. Nephrin, encoded by Nphs1 , is a structural protein of interpodocyte filtration slits crucial for formation of primary urine. Nephrin trap/trap mutants show characteristic features of proteinuric disease and die soon after birth. Morphologically, fibrotic glomeruli with distorted structures and cystic tubular lesions were observed, but no prominent changes in the branching morphogenesis of the developing collecting ducts could be found. Western blotting and immunohistochemical analyses confirmed the absence of nephrin in nephrin trap/trap glomeruli. The immunohistochemical staining showed also that the interaction partner of nephrin, CD2-associated protein (CD2AP), and the slit-diaphragm-associated protein, ZO-1α − , appeared unchanged, whereas the major anionic apical membrane protein of podocytes, podocalyxin, somewhat punctate as compared with the wild-type (wt) and nephrin wt/trap stainings. Electron microscopy revealed that >90% of the podocyte foot processes were fused. The remaining interpodocyte junctions lacked slit diaphragms and, instead, showed tight adhering areas. In the heterozygote glomeruli, approximately one third of the foot processes were fused and real-time RT-PCR showed >60% decrease of nephrin-specific transcripts. These results show an effective nephrin gene elimination, resulting in a phenotype that resembles human congenital nephrotic syndrome. Although the nephrin trap/trap mice can be used to study the pathophysiology of the disease, the heterozygous mice may provide a useful model to study the gene dose effect of this crucial protein of the glomerular filtration barrier.

A major task in the second phase of the genome sequencing projects is the identification of coding sequence within the three billion base pairs of each the mouse and human genomes. At present, in addition to computer-aided programs, several high-throughput mutagenesis programs are being undertaken worldwide in order to achieve this goal (Ref. 1). Gene-trap mutagenesis screens take advantage of random insertions into transcription units to drive a selection–reporter cassette and simultaneously to mutate the tagged genes. One of the advantages of gene-trap mutagenesis is that no a priori knowledge is needed about the structure of the tagged gene. However, because most gene-trap vectors contain splice-acceptor or splice-donor sites to capture translated gene sequence, the precise location of vector integration within introns is not known. Therefore, it is often difficult to generate external probes for Southern blots or external primers for PCR analysis in order to distinguish between homozygous and heterozygous mutants. To overcome this serious limitation in high-throughput mutagenesis screens, we developed a real-time PCR strategy that allows us to discriminate between mutants with either one or two copies of the gene-trap vector inside their genomes. Real-time quantitative PCR is based on the quantification of a fluorescent dye [5′-6-carboxyfluorescein (5′-FAM)] that is quenched by 3′-6-carboxy-tetramethylrhodamine (3′ TAMRA) when attached to a probe located between two PCR primers but is activated by the 5′ exonuclease activity of the Taq DNA polymerase (Ref. 2,3 ). Here, we describe a rapid method based on the quantification of a gene-trap vector relative to a standard locus within the mouse genome. This method allows the rapid genotyping of any gene-trap animal without prior knowledge of the mutated genes. Here, as an example, we describe the genotyping of a PT1βgeo insertion (Ref. 4) into the mouse Neurochondrin gene (Ref. 5) by comparing a multiplex PCR assay and a novel real-time-PCR-based method.

This is a response to a letter by Jawaid et al. (1). In their letter Jawaid et al. (1) refer to our recent paper on a TDP-43 transgenic knock-in (ki) mouse. The authors claim that Fig. 7 does not show differences in glucose levels of the animals and that an elevation of glucose levels would not be expected after mitochondrial dysfunction. In our measurements, glucose levels of TDP-43 ki animals were slightly elevated in ad libitum fed mice as compared with wild-type controls (ANOVA genotype-related p value was 0.04). In contrast, there was no significant difference in animals that were starved overnight. In these animals the tendency was to rather slightly lower levels. In my opinion, Fig. 7 clearly illustrates both these findings. Mitochondrial abnormalities have been found solely in the brain to date (e.g. not in spinal cords), and in a follow-up study using compound mutants of TDP-43 ki and another FTLD risk gene, we have just confirmed these findings. However, the reported observations concerning glucose and mitochondria are unrelated, as we underline in our paper (“Whether mitochondrial abnormality could explain the observed metabolic changes and altered body weight composition of hTDP-43A315T animals will be subject of future studies.”) (2).

Nature Genetics 39, 933–934 (2007); published online 27 July 2007; corrected after print 30 October 2007 In the version of this article initially published, the second author (Jens Hansen) should have been listed as an equal contributor with the first author. The last two authors (Harald von Melchner and Patricia Ruiz Noppinger) should have been listed as corresponding authors.

High-throughput gene trapping is a random approach for inducing insertional mutations across the mouse genome. This approach uses gene trap vectors that simultaneously inactivate and report the expression of the trapped gene at the insertion site, and provide a DNA tag for the rapid identification of the disrupted gene. Gene trapping has been used by both public and private institutions to produce libraries of embryonic stem (ES) cells harboring mutations in single genes. Presently, approximately 66% of the protein coding genes in the mouse genome have been disrupted by gene trap insertions. Among these, however, genes encoding signal peptides or transmembrane domains (secretory genes) are underrepresented because they are not susceptible to conventional trapping methods. Here, we describe a high-throughput gene trapping strategy that effectively targets secretory genes. We used this strategy to assemble a library of ES cells harboring mutations in 716 unique secretory genes, of which 61% were not trapped by conventional trapping, indicating that the two strategies are complementary. The trapped ES cell lines, which can be ordered from the International Gene Trap Consortium (http://www.genetrap.org), are freely available to the scientific community.

We have generated a mouse line with a mutant allele of the mouse Bruce/Birc6 gene induced by gene trap mutagenesis. Based on its structural features, Bruce is a member of the family of apoptosis inhibitor proteins (IAPs). This mutation leads to a truncated transcript and protein and results in a complete loss of the wildtype Bruce protein. Bruce mutant mice die from a progressive loss of their placental spongiotrophoblast layer between day 11.5 and 14.5 of embryonic development. The cause of the Bruce homozygous mutant phenotype is a lack of proliferation of spongiotrophoblast cells in the developing placenta. In contrast to in vitro data, which indicate a function for Bruce in apoptosis inhibition, the in vivo results presented here suggest instead a role for Bruce in cell division. genesis 42:91–103, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

We would like to respond to Brosch et al. regarding our manuscript "Expression of the Splicing Factor Gene SFRS10 Is Reduced in Human Obesity and Contributes to Enhanced Lipogenesis" (Pihlajamaki et al., 2011b). Brosch performed RT-PCR in liver samples from 13 lean and 34 obese individuals, finding no differences in SFRS10 or LPIN1 expression. We wish to address points raised by Brosch, including experimental strategy and analysis of human SFRS10 expression.

The hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD) is the selective loss of dopamine neurons in the ventral midbrain. Although the cause of neurodegeneration in PD is unknown, a Mendelian inheritance pattern is observed in rare cases, indicating a genetic factor. Furthermore, pathological analyses of PD substantia nigra have correlated cellular oxidative stress and altered proteasomal function with PD. Homozygous mutations in DJ-1 were recently described in two families with autosomal recessive Parkinsonism, one of which is a large deletion that is likely to lead to loss of function. Here we show that embryonic stem cells deficient in DJ-1 display increased sensitivity to oxidative stress and proteasomal inhibition. The accumulation of reactive oxygen species in toxin-treated DJ-1-deficient cells initially appears normal, but these cells are unable to cope with the consequent damage that ultimately leads to apoptotic death. Furthermore, we find that dopamine neurons derived from in vitro-differentiated DJ-1-deficient embryonic stem cells display decreased survival and increased sensitivity to oxidative stress. These data are consistent with a protective role for DJ-1, and demonstrate the utility of genetically modified embryonic stem cell-derived neurons as cellular models of neuronal disorders.