CRISPR-Cas9 generated SARM1 knockout and epitope tagged mice reveal no role in transcription, despite confirmation of protein expression in macrophages

The aim of this study was initially to determine the mechanism by which SARM1 regulates Ccl5 expression in murine macrophages. RNA sequencing revealed that the commonly used Sarm1tm1Aidi mouse, generated by targeted gene disruption, harbours passenger genes on chromosome 11 which confound interpretation of differential gene expression. Next-generation SARM1-deficient and epitope-tagged mice generated by CRISPR/Cas9 reveal no broad role for SARM1 in transcription in macrophages or brainstem, despite SARM1 protein expression there. Overall design: Examination of total transcribed RNA in BMDM from WT or Sarm1tm1Aidi mice (four biological replicates of each), unstimulated or stimulated for three hours with the TLR-7 ligand CL075.