| Budget Amount *help |
¥3,770,000 (Direct Cost: ¥2,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥870,000)
Fiscal Year 2013: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
Fiscal Year 2012: ¥2,210,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥510,000)
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| Research Abstract |
The melanocyte affords an advantageous model for studying gene function through phenotype-based analysis, since alterations in genes involved in melanocyte regulation are easily identifiable as pigmentary phenotypes in the mouse. However, despite a number of recent methodological advances, the generation of genetically altered mice is still laborious and time-consuming, which largely hampers in vivo gene function assignment. Here, we have developed a novel melanocyte-specific transgenesis system, by which rapid gene functional assessment is allowed in mice. As a proof-of-concept study, we generated transgenic lines carrying shRNA targeting the Tyr, Mitf, Bcl2 or RBP-J genes and found that each transgenic mice faithfully recapitulated the pigmentary phenotype of the corresponding gene knockout mice. Overall, our study suggests the broad applicability of the transgenesis approach in understanding the molecular basis of melanocyte-related diverse biological phenomena.
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