Effect of SOCS2 R96C mutation on mouse mammary gland development and function

The R96C mutation in SOCS2 (suppressor of cytokine signaling 2) that leads to greater milk production but also a greater sensitivity to mastitis was identified in Lacaune sheep by Rupp et al, 2015. This mutation leads to a loss of ligand recognition for SOCS2 and thus interferes with JAK/STAT signaling pathway regulation. A mouse model carrying this mutation (SOCS2 R96C KI) was developed to study its effects on mammary gland development and lactation. The gene expression in the mammary gland of homozygous wild-type and R96C SOCS2 knock-in C57BL/6 mice was analyzed in order to study the effects of the R96C SOCS2 mutation on mammary gland development and function. Mammary gland tissue with the lymph node removed at two stages of development was sequenced: virgin adult mice and mice at 18 days of gestation. Gene expression data was obtained using the Sureprint G3 Mouse gene expression v2 8*60K microarray kit.