Knock Out Mice

Hello sir, I am Jackson bird. I am from New York City. I want you to help me by giving me some information about the Knock Out Mice. Can you give me some details about it?

[Pathak]

A knockout mouse or knock-out mouse is a genetically modified mouse (Mus musculus) in which researchers have inactivated, or "knocked out", an existing gene by replacing it or disrupting it with an artificial piece of DNA.

Knockout mice are important animal models for studying the role of genes which have been sequenced but whose functions have not been determined.

By causing a specific gene to be inactive in the mouse, and observing any differences from normal behaviour or physiology, researchers can infer its probable function.

Knocking out the activity of a gene provides information about what that gene normally does. Humans share many genes with mice.

Consequently, observing the characteristics of knockout mice gives researchers information that can be used to better understand how a similar gene may cause or contribute to disease in humans.

There are several thousand different strains of knockout mice. Many mouse models are named after the gene that has been inactivated.

For example, the p53 knockout mouse is named after the p53 gene which codes for a protein that normally suppresses the growth of tumours by arresting cell division and/or inducing apoptosis.

Mice are currently the laboratory animal species most closely related to humans for which the knockout technique can easily be applied.

They are widely used in knockout experiments, especially those investigating genetic questions that relate to human physiology.