Heterozygous deletion of Atbf1 by the Cre-loxP system in mice causes preweaning mortality.

ATBF1 is a large nuclear protein that contains multiple zinc-finger motifs and four homeodomains. In mammals, ATBF1 regulates differentiation, and its mutation and/or downregulation is involved in tumorigenesis in several organs. To gain more insight into the physiological functions of ATBF1, we generated and validated a conditional allele of mouse Atbf1 in which exons 7 and 8 were flanked by loxP sites (Atbf1(flox) ). Germline deletion of a single Atbf1 allele was achieved by breeding to EIIa-cre transgenic mice, and Atbf1 heterozygous mice displayed reduced body weight, preweaning mortality, increased cell proliferation, and attenuated cytokeratin 18 expression, indicating haploinsufficiency of Atbf1. Floxed Atbf1 mice will help us understand such biological processes as neuronal differentiation and tumorigenesis.