Alteration of the level of Notch signaling activity in mouse embryo by gene duplication of Notch

调控胚胎细胞内信号活动是分析胚胎发育过程中动态现象的有效工具。然而，要稳定和定量地改变细胞内信号活动是非常困难的。我们试图产生Notch1基因复制的敲入小鼠，从而增加Notch1等位基因的数量。通过使用该敲入小鼠，我们可以产生0 ~ 4个不同数量的Notch1等位基因的小鼠胚胎，从而可以稳定、定量地改变该敲入小鼠系的Notch信号活性。利用该敲入小鼠，可以对胚胎发育等动态现象中的Notch信号活性进行分析。

Manipulation of intracellular signaling activity in embryos is an effective tool for analysis of dynamic phenomena in developing embryo. However, it is very difficult to alter the intracellular signaling activity stably and quantitatively. We tried to generate knockin mice in which Notch1 gene is duplicated, thereby increasing the number of Notch1 allele. By using this knockin mice, we can generate mouse embryos with various number of Notch1 allele from 0 to 4, thus we can stably and quantitatively alter the Notch signaling activity in this knockin mouse line. With this Knockin mouse the analyses of Notch signal activity in dynamic phenomena in embryo such as somitogenesis are available.