A new missense mutation in the paired domain of the mouse Pax3 gene
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 13, 2026

Navigating MARRVEL, a Web-Based Tool that Integrates Human Genomics and Model Organism Genetics Information
Published on: August 15, 2019
Tamio Ohno1, Tomoki Maegawa1, Hiroto Katoh1
1Division of Experimental Animals, Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya University, 65 Tsurumai-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya, Aichi 466-8550, Japan.
Abstract:
Mice with dominant white spotting occurred spontaneously in the C3.NSY-(D11Mit74-D11Mit229) strain. Linkage analysis indicated that the locus for white spotting was located in the vicinity of the Pax3 gene on chromosome 1. Crosses of white-spotted mice showed that homozygosity for the mutation caused tail and limb abnormalities and embryonic lethality as a result of exencephaly; these phenotypes were analogous to those found in other Pax3 mutants. Sequence analysis identified a missense point mutation (c.101G>A) in exon 2 of Pax3 that resulted in a methionine to isoleucine conversion at amino acid 62 of the PAX3 protein. This mutation site was located in the N-terminal HTH (helix-turn-helix) motif of the paired domain of Pax3, which is necessary for binding to DNA and is highly conserved in vertebrate species. Alteration of DNA binding affinity was responsible for embryonic lethality in homozygotes and white spotting in heterozygotes. We named the mutant allele as Pax3Sp-Nag. The C3H/HeN-Pax3Sp-Nag strain may be useful for analyzing the function of Pax3 as a new model of the human disease, Waardenburg Syndrome.
Related Concept Videos
Pleiotropy
Mutations
In-vitro Mutagenesis (Gene Knockouts)
Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...
Loss of Tumor Suppressor Gene Functions
When the tumor suppressor genes develop mutations or are lost, cells start growing out of control, leading to cancer. However, a single functional copy of the tumor suppressor gene is enough for the cells to maintain their normal functions and cell...
Point and Frameshift Mutations

