Rescue of the tail defect of Brachyury mice

Genes Dev. 1993 Feb;7(2):197-203. doi: 10.1101/gad.7.2.197.

Abstract

The mouse Brachyury (T) gene is required for normal development of axial structures. Embryos homozygous for the T mutation show severe deficiencies in mesoderm formation. They lack the notochord and allantois, have abnormal somites, and die at approximately 10 days postcoitum probably as a result of the allantois defect. Mice heterozygous for the T mutation exhibit a variable short-tailed phenotype. The T gene has been cloned and shown to be expressed in the tissues most strongly affected by the mutation. In this paper, we show that a single-copy transgene representing the wild-type T allele is able to rescue the T-associated tail phenotype. In addition, we show that increasing dosage of the T gene in Tc/+ mice causes an increased extension of the axis. These data show the correlation of the level of T product with the extension of the anteroposterior axis, directly demonstrating the involvement of the T product in this process.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Allantois / abnormalities
  • Allantois / embryology*
  • Animals
  • Base Sequence
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Dosage Compensation, Genetic
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Mutation / genetics*
  • Notochord / abnormalities
  • Notochord / embryology*
  • Phenotype
  • Tail / abnormalities
  • Tail / embryology*