Abstract

The gene trap technique is a newly powerful approach for characterizing and mutating genes in mouse. We used gene trap method to identify mice gene of unknown function and to establish their mouse line. Here, we found one such gene termed as Ayu17-923 (similar to zinc finger protein 197 transcript variant 2, ZNF 197L), which is located on mouse chromosome 3 encoding 136 amino acids carrying a KRAB domain in its N-terminal. The insertion of trap vector into the first intron of this gene resulted in mutation. Homozygous mice for this mutation have normal survival and have no conspicuous phenotype. These data showed thatAyu17-923 (ZNF197L) gene was dispensable for mouse survival and development.

Key words: Gene trapping, Ayu17-923, ZNF 197L, KRAB domain, mouse survival.