Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2022

Publication Title

PLoS One

Keywords

JMG, Animals, Mice, Growth and Development, Horses, Mutation, Nail Diseases, Nails, Nails, Malformed

JAX Source

PLoS One. 2022;17(11):e0277284

Volume

17

Issue

11

First Page

0277284

ISSN

1932-6203

PMID

36374931

DOI

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0277284

Abstract

Numerous single gene mutations identified in humans and mice result in nail deformities with many similarities between the species. A spontaneous, autosomal, recessive mutation called witch nails (whnl) is described here where the distal nail matrix and nail bed undergo degenerative changes resulting in formation of an abnormal nail plate causing mice to develop long, curved nails. This mutation arose spontaneously in a colony of MRL/MpJ-Faslpr/J at The Jackson Laboratory. Homozygous mutant mice are recognizable by 8 weeks of age by their long, curved nails. The whnl mutation, mapped on Chromosome 15, is due to a 7-bp insertion identified in the 3' region of exon 9 in the Krt90 gene (formerly Riken cDNA 4732456N10Rik), and is predicted to result in a frameshift that changes serine 476 to arginine and subsequently introduces 36 novel amino acids into the protein before a premature stop codon (p. Ser476ArgfsTer36). By immunohistochemistry the normal KRT90 protein is expressed in the nail matrix and nail bed in control mice where lesions are located in mutant mice. Immunoreactivity toward equine KRT124, the ortholog of mouse KRT90, is restricted to the hoof lamellae (equine hoof wall and lamellae are homologous to the mouse nail plate and nail bed) and the mouse nail bed. Equine laminitis lesions are similar to those observed in this mutant mouse suggesting that the latter may be a useful model for hoof and nail diseases. This first spontaneous mouse mutation affecting the novel Krt90 gene provides new insight into the normal regulation of the molecular pathways of nail development.

Comments

This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

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