Establishment of germline-competent embryonic stem cell lines from the MSM/Ms strain

Mamm Genome. 2009 Jan;20(1):14-20. doi: 10.1007/s00335-008-9160-7. Epub 2008 Dec 12.

Abstract

MSM/Ms is an inbred mouse strain established from the Japanese wild mouse, Mus musculus molossinus, which has been phylogenetically distinct from common laboratory mouse strains for about 1 million years. The nucleotide substitution rate between MSM/Ms and C57BL/6 is estimated to be 0.96%. MSM/Ms mice display unique characteristics not observed in the commonly used laboratory strains, including an extremely low incidence of tumor development, high locomotor activity, and resistance to high-fat-diet-induced diabetes. Thus, functional genomic analyses using MSM/Ms should provide a powerful tool for the identification of novel phenotypes and gene functions. We report here the derivation of germline-competent embryonic stem (ES) cell lines from MSM/Ms blastocysts, allowing genetic manipulation of the M. m. molossinus genome. Fifteen blastocysts were cultured in ES cell medium and three ES lines, Mol/MSM-1, -2, and -3, were established. They were tested for germline competency by aggregation with ICR morulae and germline chimeras were obtained from all three lines. We also injected Mol/MSM-1 ES cells into blastocysts of ICR or C57BL/6 x BDF1 mice and found that blastocyst injection resulted in a higher production rate of chimeric mice than did aggregation. Furthermore, Mol/MSM-1 subclones electroporated with a gene trap vector were also highly efficient at producing germline chimeras using C57BL/6 x BDF1 blastocyst injection. This Mol/MSM-1 ES line should provide an excellent new tool allowing the genetic manipulation of the MSM/Ms genome.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Wild / embryology
  • Cell Differentiation / physiology
  • Cell Line*
  • Chimera / embryology
  • Crosses, Genetic
  • Electroporation
  • Embryo Culture Techniques
  • Embryonic Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Embryonic Stem Cells / physiology*
  • Female
  • Germ Cells / physiology*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Inbred ICR
  • Mice, Inbred Strains