Deletion of ultraconserved elements yields viable mice
2007
Viable Mice Without Ultraconserved Elements
publication
Evidence: moderate
Author Information
Author(s): Ahituv Nadav, Zhu Yiwen, Visel Axel, Holt Amy, Afzal Veena, Pennacchio Len A, Rubin Edward M
Primary Institution: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Hypothesis
Are ultraconserved genetic elements really indispensable?
Conclusion
Mice lacking ultraconserved elements are viable and show no significant abnormalities.
Supporting Evidence
- All four lines of mice lacking ultraconserved elements were viable and fertile.
- No critical abnormalities were observed in various phenotypes including growth and metabolism.
- The results suggest that extreme sequence conservation does not necessarily indicate essential functions.
Takeaway
Scientists removed some important-looking DNA from mice, and surprisingly, the mice were still healthy and had babies.
Methodology
Four noncoding ultraconserved elements were deleted from the mouse genome using genetic engineering techniques.
Limitations
The study may not have detected all possible phenotypic impacts of the deleted sequences.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.64
Statistical Significance
p=0.64
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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