mortality/aging
• homozygotes are born alive but die within 15 min after birth due to respiratory failure
|
respiratory system
• at E18.5 and shortly after birth, mutant lungs appear developmentally immature with a gland-like appearance
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• mutant lungs fail to develop beyond the late pseudoglandular or early canalicular stage
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• at E16.5, branching morphogenesis is slightly inhibited
• at E18.5, lobar branching from the primary bronchi is observed but further branching generates an undifferentiated primordial respiratory system
• at E18.5, the terminal buds are embedded within extensive mesenchyme and terminal sacs are absent
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• at E18.5, terminal sacs are absent
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• at E18.5, mutant lungs exhibit undifferentiated type I and II pneumocytes
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• despite normal size and lobation, homozygous mutant lungs have a 40% higher wet weight than wild-type lungs; however, no difference in lung dry weight is observed
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• newborn homozygotes display severe lung hypoplasia
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atelectasis
(
J:75698
)
• mutant lungs fail to float on water, indicating that they were never inflated with air
|
• at autopsy, all E18.5 mutant embryos and neonates contain air in their stomach and intestine, suggesting improper breathing
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• newborn homozygotes exhibit respiratory distress; however, no abnormalities are noted in the ribs, larynx, trachea, or other skeletal elements
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• newborn homozygotes make visible efforts to breathe but die of respiratory failure
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vision/eye
• all homozygous mutant E18.5 embryos and neonates have open eyes due to failure of eyelid fusion
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homeostasis/metabolism