A large-scale, gene-driven mutagenesis approach for the functional analysis of the mouse genome

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003 Aug 19;100(17):9918-22. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1633296100. Epub 2003 Aug 6.

Abstract

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.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Cell Line
  • DNA / genetics
  • Genetic Vectors
  • Genomics / methods*
  • Humans
  • Mice / genetics*
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Mutagenesis, Insertional / methods*
  • Phenotype
  • Sequence Tagged Sites
  • Stem Cells

Substances

  • DNA