A new ENU-induced allele of mouse quaking causes severe CNS dysmyelination.

The mutant allelic series of the mouse quaking gene consists of the spontaneous quaking(viable) (qk(v)) allele, which is homozygous viable with a dysmyelination phenotype, and four ENU-induced alleles (qk(kt 1), qk(k2), qk(kt3/4), and qk(l-1)), which are homozygous embryonic lethal. Here we report the isolation of qk(e5), the first ENU-induced viable allele of quaking. Unlike qk(v)/qk(v), qk(e5)/qk(e5) animals have early-onset seizures, severe ataxia, and a dramatically reduced lifespan.

The neurological mutant quaking(viable) is Parkin deficient.

The mouse mutant quaking(viable) ( qk(v)) has been studied for almost four decades as a model for dysmyelination of the central nervous system (CNS). The genetic lesion associated with the qk(v) phenotype is a large deletion of approximately 1 Megabase on mouse Chromosome (Chr) 17. This deficiency alters the expression of transcripts from the qkI locus in oligodendrocytes, resulting in improper myelination of the CNS in animals homozygous for the deletion.

Expression, genomic structure and mapping of the thymus specific protease prss16: a candidate gene for insulin dependent diabetes mellitus susceptibility.

PRSS16 is a serine protease specifically expressed by epithelial cells in the thymic cortex. The human gene is encoded on 6p21.3-p22 where recent linkage analysis has identified an association with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) susceptibility independent of HLA-DR3.

Toxicological evaluation of 1,2-bis(methylsulfonyl)-1-(2-chloroethyl)-2-(methylaminocarbonyl)hydrazine (VNP40101M), a novel alkylating agent with potential antitumor activity, with intravenous administration in rats and dogs.

These studies investigated the toxicological effects of 1,2-bis(methylsulfonyl)-1-(2-chloroethyl)-2-(methylaminocarbonyl) hydrazine, VNP40101M, a novel alkylating antitumor agent, in animals. Sprague-Dawley rats (2-10/sex/time point at each dose) and Beagle dogs (1-3/sex/time point at each dose) were treated with VNP40101M (0 [vehicle], 1, 3, 10, and 20 mg/kg in rats and 0, 0.3, 1, and 3 mg/kg in dogs), given intravenously (IV, bolus via the tail or slow push via the cephalic or saphenous vein, respectively) once daily for 5 consecutive days.

Quaking is essential for blood vessel development.

For nearly 40 years functional studies of the mouse quaking gene (qkI) have focused on its role in the postnatal central nervous system during myelination. However, the homozygous lethality of a number of ENU-induced alleles reveals that quaking has a critical role in embryonic development prior to the start of myelination. In this article, we show that quaking has a previously unsuspected and essential role in blood vessel development.