Chromosomal transposition of a Tc1/mariner-like element in mouse embryonic stem cells

^*Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030; and ^†Department of Genetics and Cell Biology, University of Minnesota, 1445 Gortner Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108

Edited by Pierre Chambon, I.G.B.M.C., Strasbourg, France, and approved June 22, 1998 (received for review May 4, 1998)

Abstract

Mouse has become an increasingly important organism for modeling human diseases and for determining gene function in a mammalian context. Unfortunately, transposon-tagged mutagenesis, one of the most valuable tools for functional genomics, still is not available in this organism. On the other hand, it has long been speculated that members of the Tc1/mariner-like elements may be less dependent on host factors and, hence, can be introduced into heterologous organisms. However, this prediction has not been realized in mice. We report here the chromosomal transposition of the Sleeping Beauty (SB) element in mouse embryonic stem cells, providing evidence that it can be used as an in vivo mutagen in mice.

transposon

Footnotes

↵ ‡ Present address: The Netherlands Cancer Institute, Division of Molecular Biology, Plesmanlaan 121, 1066 CX Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
↵ § To whom reprint requests should be addressed at: Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030. e-mail: abradley{at}bcm.tmc.edu.
This paper was submitted directly (Track II) to the Proceedings Office.
ABBREVIATIONS:

ES,

embryonic stem;

IR,

inverted repeat