Ethanol's action on the brain likely reflects altered function of key ion channels such as glutamatergic N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDARs). In this study, we determined how expression of a mutant GluN1 subunit (F639A) that reduces ethanol inhibition of NMDARs affects ethanol-induced behaviors in mice. Mice homozygous for the F639A allele died prematurely while heterozygous knock-in mice g...

The physiological consequences of aberrant Ca(2+) binding and exchange with cardiac myofilaments are not clearly understood. In order to examine the effect of decreasing Ca(2+) sensitivity of cTnC on cardiac function, we generated knock-in mice carrying a D73N mutation (not known to be associated with heart disease in human patients) in cTnC. The D73N mutation was engineered into the regulatory...

Although modulation of protein levels is an important tool for study of protein function, it is difficult or impossible to knockdown or knockout genes that are critical for cell growth or viability. For such genes, a conditional knockdown approach would be valuable. The FKBP protein-based destabilization domain (DD)-tagging approach, which confers instability to the tagged protein in the absenc...

Rab3A, Rab3B, Rab3C, and Rab3D are closely related GTP-binding proteins of synaptic vesicles that may function in neurotransmitter release. We have produced knock-out (KO) mice for Rab3B and Rab3C and crossed them with previously generated Rab3A and 3D knock-out mice to generate double, triple, and quadruple Rab3 knock-out mice. We have found that all single and double Rab3 knock-out mice are v...

objective(s):eukaryotic translation initiation factor 4e (eif4e) is overexpressed in cervical cancer (cc). however, the molecular mechanisms are unclear. this study aimed to investigate the molecular mechanism of eif4e gene overexpression in cc. materials andmethods:the human papillomavirus (hpv) type 18 e7 and eif4e mrnas were measured following knock down or overexpression of e7 gene by rt-pc...

enrichment of cell suspension with germ cells prior to injection into recipient seminiferous tubules is of importance in spermatogonial stem cells (sscs) transplantation. knock-out serum replacement (ksr) has been reported to enhance the proliferation of murine sscs and human embryonic stem cells. the aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of ksr versus fetal bovine serum (fbs) ...