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Title: Mouse models to explore the biological and organismic role of DNA polymerase beta
Abstract

Gene knock‐out (KO) mouse models for DNA polymerase beta (Polβ) revealed that loss of Polβ leads to neonatal lethality, highlighting the critical organismic role for this DNA polymerase. While biochemical analysis and gene KO cell lines have confirmed its biochemical role in base excision repair and in TET‐mediated demethylation, more long‐lived mouse models continue to be developed to further define its organismic role. ThePolb‐KO mouse was the first of the Cre‐mediated tissue‐specific KO mouse models. This technology was exploited to investigate roles for Polβ in V(D)J recombination (variable‐diversity‐joining rearrangement), DNA demethylation, gene complementation, SPO11‐induced DNA double‐strand break repair, germ cell genome stability, as well as neuronal differentiation, susceptibility to genotoxin‐induced DNA damage, and cancer onset. The revolution in knock‐in (KI) mouse models was made possible by CRISPR/cas9‐mediated gene editing directly in C57BL/6 zygotes. This technology has helped identify phenotypes associated with germline or somatic mutants of Polβ. Such KI mouse models have helped uncover the importance of key Polβ active site residues or specific Polβ enzyme activities, such as thePolbY265Cmouse that develops lupus symptoms. More recently, we have used this KI technology to mutate thePolbgene with two codon changes, yielding thePolbL301R/V303Rmouse. In this KI mouse model, the expressed Polβ protein cannot bind to its obligate heterodimer partner, Xrcc1. Although the expressed mutant Polβ protein is proteolytically unstable and defective in recruitment to sites of DNA damage, the homozygousPolbL301R/V303Rmouse is viable and fertile, yet small in stature. We expect that this and additional targeted mouse models under development are poised to reveal new biological and organismic roles for Polβ.

 
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NSF-PAR ID:
10500681
Author(s) / Creator(s):
 
Publisher / Repository:
Wiley Blackwell (John Wiley & Sons)
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Environmental and Molecular Mutagenesis
ISSN:
0893-6692
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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