Generation of Acsl4 Gene Knockout Mouse Model by CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Genome Engineering

Acyl-CoA synthetase 4 (Acsl4) is involved in lipid synthesis and fatty acid degradation, and disruption of its function causes lipid metabolism disorder in various species. Herein, we report the generation of Acsl4 knockout (KO) mice using the CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing system to study its effects on lipid deposition. In this report, a large 12kb deletion in the Acsl4 gene was performed by coinjection of Cas9 mRNA and two guide RNAs (sgRNAs) into mouse fertilized oocytes. Six mutant mice carrying target mutations were examined by PCR analysis and direct sequencing. The gene modified mice remained healthy and displayed normal behavior. All the mutant F0 mice were mated with wild mice to produce the F1 generation, and only 1 F1 mutant mouse was obtained.