Journal article

Targeted disruption of mouse centromere protein C gene leads to mitotic disarray and early embryo death

P Kalitsis, KJ Fowler, E Earle, J Hill, KHA Choo

PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | NATL ACAD SCIENCES | Published : 1998

Abstract

Centromere protein C (CENPC) is a key protein that has been localized to the inner kinetochore plate of active mammalian centromeres. Using gene targeting techniques, we have disrupted the mouse Cenpc gene and shown that the gene is essential for normal mouse embryonic development. Heterozygous mice carrying one functional copy of the gene are healthy and fertile, whereas homozygous embryos fail to thrive. In these embryos, mitotic arrest and gross morphological degeneration become apparent as early as the morula stage of development. The degenerating embryos demonstrate highly irregular cell and nuclear morphologies, including the presence of a large number of micronuclei. Mitotic chromosom..

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