期刊名称：Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
印刷版ISSN：0027-8424
电子版ISSN：1091-6490
出版年度：1999
卷号：96
期号：21
页码：11946-11951
DOI：10.1073/pnas.96.21.11946
语种：English
出版社：The National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
摘要：The phylogenetically conserved nuclear factor I (NFI) family of transcription/replication proteins is essential both for adenoviral DNA replication and for the transcription of many cellular genes. We showed previously that the four murine NFI genes (Nfia, Nfib, Nfic, and Nfix) are expressed in unique but overlapping patterns during mouse development and in adult tissues. Here we show that disruption of the Nfia gene causes perinatal lethality, with >95% of homozygous Nfia-/- animals dying within 2 weeks after birth. Newborn Nfia-/- animals lack a corpus callosum and show ventricular dilation indicating early hydrocephalus. Rare surviving homozygous Nfia-/- mice lack a corpus callosum, show severe communicating hydrocephalus, a full-axial tremor indicative of neurological defects, male-sterility, low female fertility, but near normal life spans. These findings indicate that while the Nfia gene appears nonessential for cell viability and DNA replication in embryonic stem cells and fibroblasts, loss of Nfia function causes severe developmental defects. This finding of an NFI gene required for a developmental process suggests that the four NFI genes may have distinct roles in vertebrate development.
