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AhR And Arnt Knockout Mouse Models

Background:
The National Cancer Institute's Laboratory of Metabolism is seeking statements of capability or interest from parties interested in collaborative research to further develop, evaluate, or commercialize separate AhR and Arnt knockout mouse models.

Technology:
The technology relates to two separate knockout mouse models of related transcription factors that bind each other.  The aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) and the aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (Arnt) protein are transcription factors that play an important role in mediating the effects of man-made environmental toxins.  They also play a role in mammalian development and physiological homeostasis.  AhR and Arnt are members of the PAS domain/bHLH family of transcription factors. These transcription factors have been shown to be important in a number of specific tissues including ovary, vascular endothelium, keratinocytes, T-cells, and liver.

This invention describes a knockout mouse line in which the AhR receptor has been knocked-out, and a mouse line containing a floxed allele of the Arnt gene.  The Arnt mouse line can be used to disrupt the Arnt gene in different tissues by breeding the Arnt-floxed mice with transgenic mice in which the Cre recombinase is under the control of tissue-specific promoters.  These mice may be used as a research tool for drug development where PAS/bHLH transcription factors such as hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF) 1a and 1B are targeted

R&D Status: Both knockout mouse models have been developed and are available as research tools

IP Status:  Research Tools.  Patent protection is not being pursued for these technologies.

Value Proposition:

• Research tool for drug studies targeting PAS/bHLH transcription factors
• Research tool to probe the role of the Arnt protein in a tissue-specific manner