Ubiquitin profiling in liver using a transgenic mouse with biotinylated ubiquitin.

Ubiquitination is behind most cellular processes, with ubiquitin substrates being regulated variously according to the number of covalently conjugated ubiquitin molecules and type of chain formed. Here we report the first mammalian system for ubiquitin proteomics allowing direct validation of the MS-identified proteins. We created a transgenic mouse expressing biotinylated ubiquitin and demonstrate its use for the isolation of ubiquitinated proteins from liver and other tissues.

Germline potential of parthenogenetic haploid mouse embryonic stem cells.

Haploid embryonic stem cells (ESCs) have recently been derived from parthenogenetic mouse embryos and offer new possibilities for genetic screens. The ability of haploid ESCs to give rise to a wide range of differentiated cell types in the embryo and in vitro has been demonstrated. However, it has remained unclear whether haploid ESCs can contribute to the germline.