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Abstract

Growth differentiation factor-1 (GDF1), a TGF-beta superfamily member, participates in early embryo patterning. Later functions are implied by the Gdf1 expression in the peripheral and central nervous system. Such roles of the gene have been difficult to study, because Gdf1 null mice die during late embryogenesis. Here, we report the production of a mouse carrying a conditional Gdf1 allele, with exon 2 flanked by IoxP sites. Crossing these mice with CaMKII alpha-Cre mice resulted in Gdf1 ablation in the forebrain postnatally. Such mice displayed no behavioral changes or altered expression levels in a set of hippocampal genes examined. However, excision of the floxed Gdf1 exon caused increased expression of the remaining part of the bicistronic Uog1-Gdf1 transcript in the hippocampus. This indicates that the transcript level is regulated by a negative feedback-loop, sensing presence of either the protein or the mRNA region encoded by Gdf1 exon 2.

Keywords

Gdf1; Uog1; Lass1; bicistronic mRNA; conditional knockout; hippocampus

Published in

genesis
2008, volume: 46, number: 7, pages: 368-372
Publisher: WILEY-LISS

SLU Authors

UKÄ Subject classification

Developmental Biology
Cell Biology

Publication identifier

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/dvg.20408

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/41359