Title | A structurally defined mini-chromosome vector for the mouse germ line. |
Publication Type | Journal Article |
Year of Publication | 2000 |
Authors | Shen MH, Mee PJ, Nichols J, Yang J, Brook F, Gardner RL, Smith AG, Brown WR |
Journal | Curr Biol |
Volume | 10 |
Issue | 1 |
Pagination | 31-4 |
Date Published | 2000 Jan 13 |
ISSN | 0960-9822 |
Keywords | Animals, Cell Line, Chimera, Chromosomes, DNA, Recombinant, Embryo Transfer, Female, Fibroblasts, Genetic Vectors, Germ-Line Mutation, Humans, Male, Mice, Mice, Inbred C57BL, Stem Cell Transplantation |
Abstract | Yeast artificial mini-chromosomes have helped to define the features of chromosome architecture important for accurate segregation and replication and have been used to identify genes important for chromosome stability and as large-fragment cloning vectors. Artificial chromosomes have been developed in human cells but they do not have defined, experimentally predictable structures. Fragments of human chromosomes have also been introduced into mice and in one case passed through the germ line. In these experiments, however, the structure and sequence organization of the fragments was not defined. Structurally defined mammalian mini-chromosome vectors should allow large tracts of DNA to be introduced into the vertebrate germ line for biotechnological purposes and for investigations of features of chromosome structure that influence gene expression. Here, we have determined the structure and sequence organization of an engineered mammalian mini-chromosome, ST1, and shown that it is stably maintained in vertebrate somatic cells and that it can be transmitted through the mouse germ line. |
Alternate Journal | Curr. Biol. |
PubMed ID | 10660300 |