Mice lacking vimentin develop and reproduce without an obvious phenotype
Abstract
To address the biological role of vimentin in the context of the living organism, we have introduced a null mutation of the vimentin gene into the germ line of mice. Surprisingly, animals homozygous for this mutation developed and reproduced without an obvious phenotype. Immunoblotting, immunofluorescence, and immunogold labeling analysis confirmed the absence of vimentin and of the corresponding filament network. Furthermore, no compensatory expression of another intermediate filament could be demonstrated. While these results leave open the question of the possible role of vimentin in unusual situations or pathological conditions, they show that a conspicuous developmental and cell-specific structure that is an integral part of the cytoskeleton can be eliminated without apparent effect on mouse reproduction and development.
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Absence of GFAP and/or Vim in mice has no major effect under physiological conditions.
“Absence of GFAP and/or Vim in mice has no major effect under physiological conditions (17–20), reflecting the role of intermediate filament (nanofilament) system as a signaling platform in situations connected with cellular stress (21).”
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- Authors
- Colucci-Guyon, E., Portier, M.-M., Dunia, I., Paulin, D., Pournin, S., & Babinet, C.
- Affiliations
- Collège de France (FR)
- Institut Pasteur (FR)
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
- Venue
- Cell
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 1994-11
- Volume
- 79
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 679-694
- ISSN
- 0092-8674 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W1988866780
- Cited by
- 598
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 11 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 18 · 2022: 16 · 2021: 12 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 15 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 16 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 17 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 24
- FWCI
- 9.39
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Cell (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Cell Biology › Skin and Cellular Biology Research
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Nuclear Structure and Function
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Connexins and lens biology
- Keywords
- vimentin, intermediate filaments, germline mutations, mouse development, mouse reproduction, cytoskeleton, compensatory expression, intermediate filament proteins
- MeSH terms
- Animals, beta-Galactosidase, Chimera, Cytoskeleton, Female, Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Genetic Vectors, Heterozygote, Humans, Intermediate Filaments, Male, Mice, Transgenic, Mutation, Organ Specificity, Phenotype, Reproduction, Stem Cells, Vimentin, Genomic Library, Microscopy, Immunoelectron, Mutagenesis, Mice
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