Athymic nude rat

The rnu mutation was discovered in 1953 in a HOODED rat colony at the Rowett Research Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland. This natural genetic mutation causes in the rat an absence of the thymus. In the rare cases where vestiges of thymus remain visible, it is generally not functional. This character is accompanied by a deficient immune system due to insufficient production of T lymphocytes cells. The last characteristic controlled by the rnu gene is abnormal growth of hair which ultimately results in bare or almost naked skin (sometimes retarded hair grow can be observed). The phenotype of the model ATHYMIC nude is characterized by an absence of hair, which earned him the “nude” nickname. The gene responsible for the mutation has been categorized as a member of the Fox gene family and the nomenclature recommends the name Foxn1^rnu/rnuFoxn1^rnu/rnu) on a LOU-FISCHER-LONG_EVANS mixed genetic background using the speed congenics technique.

The ATHYMIC Nude rat is valuable for research because it can serve as a recipient for different autologous and heterologous tumour cell strain implantations, for example in oncology research.

CHARACTERISTICS
Females with the homozygous gene are not effective breeders.

Main application and research fields