Organogenesis of the liver, thymus and spleen is affected in jumonji mutant mice

https://doi.org/10.1016/S0925-4773(97)00082-8Get rights and content
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Abstract

The recessive mutant mouse jumonji (jmj), obtained by a gene trap strategy, shows neural tube defects in approximately half of homozygotes with a BalbcA and 129/Ola mixed background. Here, we show that no neural tube defects are observed with a BalbcA background. We also found hypoplasia of the liver, thymus and spleen with full penetrance with a BalbcA background. In the livers of homozygous embryos we found excessive cell death in the peripheral region. In both the thymus and spleen, the accumulation of hematopoietic cells is affected in mutant embryos. These phenotypes were also observed with C57BL6J and DBA2J backgrounds, suggesting that the jmj gene plays an essential role in the organogenesis of these tissues.

Keywords

jumonji
Cell death
Megakaryocyte
Gene trap

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1

Program in Developmental Biology, Division of Endocrinology, Research Institute, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1X8, Canada.