| First Author | Miles CG | Year | 2003 |
| Journal | Mol Cell Biol | Volume | 23 |
| Issue | 7 | Pages | 2608-13 |
| PubMed ID | 12640141 | Mgi Jnum | J:82515 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:2653433 | Doi | 10.1128/MCB.23.7.2608-2613.2003 |
| Citation | Miles CG, et al. (2003) Mice lacking the 68-amino-acid, mammal-specific N-terminal extension of WT1 develop normally and are fertile. Mol Cell Biol 23(7):2608-13 |
| abstractText | Mutations in the Wilms' tumor 1 gene, WT1, cause pediatric nephroblastoma and the severe genitourinary disorders of Frasier and Denys-Drash syndromes. High levels of WT1 expression are found in the developing kidney, uterus, and testis--consistent with this finding, the WT1 knockout mouse demonstrates that WT1 is essential for normal genitourinary development. The WT1 gene encodes multiple isoforms of a zinc finger-containing protein by a combination of alternative splicing and alternative translation initiation. The use of an upstream, alternative CUG translation initiation codon specific to mammals results in the production of WT1 protein isoforms with a 68-amino-acid N-terminal extension. To determine the function in vivo of mammal-specific WT1 isoforms containing this extension, gene targeting was employed to introduce a subtle mutation into the WT1 gene. Homozygous mutant mice show a specific absence of the CUG-initiated WT1 isoforms yet develop normally to adulthood and are fertile. Detailed histological analysis revealed normal development of the genitourinary system. |
