Applications of adhesion molecule gene knockout cell lines.

Cell lines derived from mice carrying targeted mutations in adhesion or ECM genes, and ES cell lines homozygous for mutations in these genes, have proved to be valuable tools to examine the functions of these molecules in development, and at a molecular level by in vitro experimentation. In many cases, the development of cell lines has exposed novel phenotypes not apparent from in vivo observations, possibly because the in vitro system under observation is more dependent on a specific molecule than is an entire organ or organism. These cell lines should continue to provide interesting model systems to study the molecular function of adhesion receptors.