The CD9 tetraspanin is known to be expressed at high levels on marginal zone (MZ) B cells, B-1 B cells, and plasma cells, and its expression is believed to be dependent on signals derived via Btk. In CD9 null mice, however, the development and survival of MZ B cells, B-1 B cells, and plasma cells all appear to be unaffected, and humoral immune responses to T-dependent and T-independent Ags are ...

Abnormal feeding behavior is one of the main symptoms of Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS). By studying a PWS mouse mutant line, which carries a paternally inherited deletion of the small nucleolar RNA 116 (Snord116), we observed significant changes in working-for-food behavioral responses at various timescales. In particular, we report that PWS mutant mice show a significant delay compared to wild-t...

Sc1 is an extracellular matrix-associated protein whose function is unknown. During early embryonic development, Sc1 is widely expressed, and from embryonic day 12 (E12), Sc1 is expressed primarily in the developing nervous system. This switch in Sc1 expression at E12 suggests an importance for nervous-system development. To gain insight into Sc1 function, we used gene targeting to inactivate m...

Mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) blockade has been shown to suppress cardiac hypertrophy and remodeling in animal models of pressure overload (POL). This study aims to determine whether MR deficiency in myeloid cells modulates aortic constriction-induced cardiovascular injuries. Myeloid MR knockout (MMRKO) mice and littermate control mice were subjected to abdominal aortic constriction (AAC) or ...

We used a fully automated system for the behavioural measurement of physiologically meaningful properties of basic mechanisms of cognition to test two strains of heterozygous mutant mice, Bfc (batface) and L1, and their wild-type littermate controls. Both of the target genes are involved in the establishment and maintenance of synapses. We find that the Bfc heterozygotes show reduced precision ...

BACKGROUND Casein kinase 1 delta (CK1delta) plays a more prominent role in the regulation of circadian cycle length than its homologue casein kinase 1 epsilon (CK1epsilon) in peripheral tissues such as liver and embryonic fibroblasts. Mice lacking CK1delta die shortly after birth, so it has not been possible to assess the impact of loss of CK1delta on behavioral rhythms controlled by the master...

We generated mice that overexpress the sirtuin, SIRT1. Transgenic mice have been generated by knocking in SIRT1 cDNA into the beta-actin locus. Mice that are hemizygous for this transgene express normal levels of beta-actin and higher levels of SIRT1 protein in several tissues. Transgenic mice display some phenotypes similar to mice on a calorie-restricted diet: they are leaner than littermate ...

We investigated the effects of isolation, huddling, and air temperature on ultrasound production by rat pups. Experiment 1 showed that ultrasound production by 8- to 9-day-olds was minimal at thermoneutrality and increased in response to small deviations of air temperature on either side of the thermoneutral zone. Experiments 2 and 3 showed that suppression of ultrasound production by contact w...

SIRT1 is an NAD -dependent histone deacetylase implicated in the establishment of the primitive hematopoietic system during mouse embryonic development. However, investigation of the role of SIRT1 in adult hematopoiesis has been complicated by the high perinatal mortality of SIRT1-deficient mice (SIRT1 / ). We performed a comprehensive in vivo study of the hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) compartm...