Objective To establish gene knockout mice to study the function of hairless gene.
Methods Hr gene knockout mice were prepared by using the technology of transcription activating factor like effector nuclease, and the hair growth and development of the gene knockout mice were observed. Part of the skin tissues were cut into paraffin sections, and the results were analyzed under the microscope.
Results A first construction mouse with two base deletions at 86-87 of the coding region of Hr gene was obtained, and TGA termination codon was generated. The positive offspring were obtained by hybridization with wild type mice, and then mated in the same litter. The hair of the second generation mice began to lose on the 14th day, and the hair was removed on the 30th day, and remained hairless for life. Histological observation of the skin showed that cysts of different sizes were formed in the dermis. The results showed that the successfully established Hr gene knockout mice showed abnormal hair growth.
Conclusion It is proved that hairless gene is closely related to hair growth and development, which provides a good animal model for studying the precise function of Hr gene.