Generation of a mouse model for a conditional inactivation of Gtf2i allele.

The multifunctional transcription factor TFII-I encoded by the Gtf2i gene is expressed at the two-cell stage, inner cell mass, trophectoderm, and early gastrula stages of the mouse embryo. In embryonic stem cells, TFII-I colocalizes with bivalent domains and depletion of Gtf2i causes embryonic lethality, neural tube closure, and craniofacial defects. To gain insight into the function of TFII-I during late embryonic and postnatal stages, we have generated a conditional Gtf2i null allele by flanking exon 3 with loxP sites.