Novel Alternative Splice Variants of Mouse Cdk5rap2

PLoS One. 2015 Aug 31;10(8):e0136684. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136684. eCollection 2015.

Abstract

Autosomal recessive primary microcephaly (MCPH) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by a pronounced reduction of brain volume and intellectual disability. A current model for the microcephaly phenotype invokes a stem cell proliferation and differentiation defect, which has moved the disease into the spotlight of stem cell biology and neurodevelopmental science. Homozygous mutations of the Cyclin-dependent kinase-5 regulatory subunit-associated protein 2 gene CDK5RAP2 are one genetic cause of MCPH. To further characterize the pathomechanism underlying MCPH, we generated a conditional Cdk5rap2 LoxP/hCMV Cre mutant mouse. Further analysis, initiated on account of a lack of a microcephaly phenotype in these mutant mice, revealed the presence of previously unknown splice variants of the Cdk5rap2 gene that are at least in part accountable for the lack of microcephaly in the mice.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alternative Splicing / genetics*
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Brain / growth & development
  • Cell Cycle Proteins / genetics*
  • Cell Proliferation
  • Genetic Predisposition to Disease
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Microcephaly / genetics
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins / genetics
  • Neural Stem Cells / physiology
  • Protein Isoforms / genetics
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA

Substances

  • Cdk5rap2 protein, mouse
  • Cell Cycle Proteins
  • Nerve Tissue Proteins
  • Protein Isoforms

Supplementary concepts

  • Autosomal Recessive Primary Microcephaly

Grants and funding

This work was supported by German Research Foundation (SFB665), http://www.sfb665.de/; Sonnenfeld Stiftung, http://www.sonnenfeld-stiftung.de/; Federal Ministry of Education and research (BMBF); Berlin Institute of Health (BIH), http://www.bmbf.de/en/; Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), https://www.daad.de/en/. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.