Construction and phenotypic study of heterozygous knockout mice of tumor necrosis factor receptor associated factor 2

Acta Universitatis Medicinalis Anhui 2025, 07, v.60 1291-1296     font:big middle small

Found programs: National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 82104187,82173824)

Authors:Wang Weikang; Zuo Shujun; Gu Jintao; Guo Fuyuan; Guo Haozhou; Han Chenchen; Wei Wei

Keywords:TRAF2; CRISPR/Cas9; gene knockout;genetically engineered mice; genotyping; phenotypic study;

DOI:10.19405/j.cnki.issn1000-1492.2025.07.018

〔Abstract〕 Objective To generate heterozygous TRAF2 knockout mice, the CRISPR/Cas9 technology was successfully employed. These mice were served as a valuable model to explore the pathological mechanisms underlying inflammatory and immune disorders mediated by abnormal TNF-α-TRAF2 signaling and to develop new therapeutic targets. Methods A vector targeting the knockout of the TRAF2 gene was constructed. Lead RNA and Cas9 Mrna were introduced into the fertilized eggs of C57BL/6JGpt mice through microinjection to mediate the TRAF2 gene mutation in mice. The mouse tail protein was extracted and the genotype of the F0 generation was determined by PCR and Western blot. TRAF2+/- mice were successfully obtained. F0 generation mice were backcrossed with C57BL/6JGpt wild-type mice to obtain stable TRAF2+/- mice for propagation and subsequent experiments. The body weight of TRAF2+/- mice was detected; Western blot was used to detect the expression of TRAF2 in the spleen, liver and kidney tissues of TRAF2+/- mice. The development of spleen, liver and kidney tissues in TRAF2+/- mice was detected by HE staining. Results PCR identification using specific primers demonstrated that TRAF2+/- mice exhibited a target band at 679 bp. Western blot analysis results indicated that, compared with the WT group, the expression of TRAF2 in the tail protein of TRAF2+/- mice was significantly reduced(P+/- mice had a lower body weight compared to their littermate WT mice(P+/- mice was decreased(P+/- mice and WT mice. Conclusion The successful construction of TRAF2+/- mice has provided an important animal model for exploring the role of TRAF2 in developmental regulation, revealing the mechanism of inflammatory immune diseases mediated by abnormal TNF-α-TRAF2 signaling, and screening related drug targets.