What are RAG-1 knockout mice?

What are RAG-1 knockout mice?

RAG-1-deficient mice have small lymphoid organs that do not contain mature B and T lymphocytes. The arrest of B and T cell differentiation occurs at an early stage and correlates with the inability to perform V(D)J recombination. The immune system of the RAG-1 mutant mice can be described as that of nonleaky scid mice.

What is special about a rag knockout animal?

As such RAG2 knockout mice represent a very valuable research tool used in transplantation experiments, vaccine development and hematopoiesis research. Also, the RAG2 mutation can be combined with other mutations in order to develop further models useful for basic immunology research.

What are rag -/- mice?

“Rag-deficient” mice are mice that fail to express functional Rag1 or Rag2 proteins. Like the Prkdc gene, both Rag1 and Rag2 are required for somatic recombination of TCR and Ig genes, and the absence of either gene results in T and B cell deficiency.

Do Rag mice have T cells?

Rag1 null mice have no CD3+ or T cell receptor (TCR) alpha-beta positive cells. The thymus of the mutant mice contains 15 to 130 times fewer cells than heterozygous or wild-type siblings.

What is the difference between RAG1 and RAG2?

Unlike the binding of RAG1 plus RAG2, RAG1 can bind to DNA in the absence of a divalent metal ion and does not require the presence of coding flank sequence. Footprinting of the RAG1-RAG2 complex with 1,10-phenanthroline-copper and dimethyl sulfate protection reveal that both the heptamer and the nonamer are involved.

Do RAG1 mice have NK cells?

Our results indicate that NK cells from Rag1−/− mice are fully functional and should therefore be considered in the interpretation of immune-cell transfer models in experimental stroke.

What does RAG1 and RAG2 do?

The RAG1 and RAG2 proteins initiate V(D)J recombination by introducing double-strand breaks at the border between a recombination signal sequence (RSS) and a coding segment.

Do RAG1 KO mice have NK cells?

What is the role of RAG1 and RAG2?

What is the function of RAG1 2?

The nonamer functions to anchor the RAG proteins to the DNA, while the heptamer enhances binding of the RAG recombinase and specifies the site of DNA cleavage. RAG1/2 recombinase initiates recombination by introducing double-stranded breaks in the DNA between the RSS and coding segment.

Do NOD SCID mice have NK cells?

NK cells generated in NOD/SCID mice are CD56+CD3-, express CD16 and NKp46, and are functional with respect to interferon-γ (IFN-γ) production in response to IL-12 and IL-18.