mortality/aging
• homozygous mutant pups born from heterozygous crosses are obtained at slightly lower than expected frequencies
• however, adult homozygous mutant mice appear healthy and exhibit a normal lifespan
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• a subset of embryos derived from homozygous crosses die around birth
• perinatal lethality is rescued when homozygous mutant females are crossed with wild-type males
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reproductive system
• ex vivo, a subset of embryos derived from homozygous crosses fail to implant
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• crosses between homozygous mutant mice result in delayed delivery
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• crosses between homozygous mutant mice result in a significantly reduced litter size
• however, litter size is normal when wild-type females are bred with homozygous mutant males or when homozygous mutant females are bred with wild-type males
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embryo
• ex vivo, embryos derived from homozygous crosses start dividing faster at E1.5, show an unusual transition from the 2-cell to the 4-cell stage with a 3-cell intermediate structure, appear partially blocked at E2.0, and are clearly delayed in blastocyst formation with a subset of embryos showing increased levels of lethality at E3.5, E4.0 and E4.5
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• ex vivo, a subset of embryos derived from homozygous crosses show significantly reduced blastocyst formation at E3.5, with only 65% reaching the blastocyst stage by E4.5 relative to 100% in wild-type controls
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behavior/neurological
• some of the rare pups born from homozygous crosses are eaten by their mother after delivery, probably because they are stillborn or because they exhibit physical defects
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