Haploid embryonic stem cells: an ideal tool for mammalian genetic analyses

Identification of the function of all genes in the mammalian genome is critical in understanding basic mechanisms of biology. However, the diploidy of mammalian somatic cells has greatly hindered efforts to elucidate the gene function in numerous biological processes by mutagenesis-based genetic approaches. Recently, mouse haploid embryonic stem (haES) cells have been successfully isolated from parthenogenetic and androgenetic embryos, providing an ideal tool for genetic analyses. In these studies, mouse haES cells have already shown that they could be used in cell-based forward or reverse genetic screenings and in generating gene-targeting via homologous recombination. In particular, haES cells from androgenetic embryos can be employed as novel, renewable form of fertilization agent for yielding live-born mice via injection into oocytes, thus showing the possibility that genetic analysis can be extended from cellular level to organism level.