Genetic dissection of Toll-like receptor signaling using ENU mutagenesis

Forward genetics has led to many discoveries and particularly in the field of Toll-like receptors (TLRs), it has played an important role in identifying key components involved in the innate sensing of pathogens. With the mouse genome fully sequenced and the ability to generate many mutant phenotypes through random germline mutagenesis, forward genetics has become an efficient means by which to identify key components involved in our immune response. In this chapter I provide a practical guide for performing germline mutagenesis in mice. I focus on the application of this technology to the identification of genes involved in TLR signaling.