Subtle cerebellar phenotype in mice homozygous for a targeted deletion of the En-2 homeobox

Science. 1991 Mar 8;251(4998):1239-43. doi: 10.1126/science.1672471.

Abstract

The two mouse genes, En-1 and En-2, that are homologs of the Drosophila segmentation gene engrailed, show overlapping spatially restricted patterns of expression in the neural tube during embryogenesis, suggestive of a role in regional specification. Mice homozygous for a targeted mutation that deletes the homeobox were viable and showed no obvious defects in embryonic development. This may be due to functional redundancy of En-2 and the related En-1 gene product during embryogenesis. Consistent with this hypothesis, the mutant mice showed abnormal foliation in the adult cerebellum, where En-2, and not En-1, is normally expressed.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blastocyst
  • Cell Line
  • Cerebellum / anatomy & histology*
  • Cerebellum / embryology
  • Cerebellum / pathology
  • Chimera
  • Chromosome Deletion*
  • Female
  • Genes, Homeobox*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred BALB C
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Nervous System / embryology
  • Phenotype