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Molecular and Cellular Biology, September 2004, p. 8221-8226, Vol. 24, No. 18
0270-7306/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/MCB.24.18.8221-8226.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Generation and Characterization of Neuregulin-2-Deficient Mice

Joanne M. Britto,1 Sherralee Lukehurst,1 Renae Weller,1 Chris Fraser,2 Yubin Qiu,2 Paul Hertzog,3 and Samantha J. Busfield1*

Western Australian Institute for Medical Research and UWA Centre for Medical Research, University of Western Australia, Perth,1 Institute of Reproduction and Development, Monash Medical Centre, Clayton, Victoria, Australia,3 Millennium Pharmaceuticals Inc., Cambridge, Massachusetts2

Received 4 March 2004/ Returned for modification 3 April 2004/ Accepted 30 May 2004

The neuregulins (NRGs) are a family of four structurally related growth factors that are expressed in the developing and adult brain. NRG-1 is essential for normal heart formation and has been implicated in the development and maintenance of both neurons and glia. NRG-2 was identified on the basis of its homology to NRG-1 and, like NRG-1, is expressed predominantly by neurons in the central nervous system. We have generated mice with the active domain of NRG-2 deleted in an effort to characterize the biological function of NRG-2 in vivo. In contrast to the NRG-1 knockout animals, NRG-2 knockouts have no apparent heart defects and survive embryogenesis. Mutant mice display early growth retardation and reduced reproductive capacity. No obvious histological differences were observed in the major sites of NRG-2 expression. Our results indicate that in vivo NRG-2 activity differs substantially from that of NRG-1 and that it is not essential for normal development in utero.

* Corresponding author. Mailing address: Laboratory for Molecular Neuroscience, Western Australian Institute for Medical Research, 6th Floor, MRF Building, Rear, 50 Murray St., Perth, WA 6000, Australia. Phone: 61-89 224 0325. Fax: 61-89 224 0322. E-mail: busfield{at}cyllene.uwa.edu.au.

Molecular and Cellular Biology, September 2004, p. 8221-8226, Vol. 24, No. 18
0022-538X/04/$08.00+0     DOI: 10.1128/MCB.24.18.8221-8226.2004
Copyright © 2004, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.



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