Transcriptome changes in Slc7a5-null mouse embryos

The effects of loss of the large neutral amino acid transporter Slc7a5 (aka Lat1) on mouse embryonic development were investigated. Slc7a5 fl/fl mice harbouring two copies of the Slc7a5 targeted allele (exon 1 of Slc7a5 flanked with two loxP sites), were crossed with a mouse line ubiquitously expressing cre recombinase under the Bal1 promoter (Bal1-cre) to obtain a global Slc7a5 knockout mouse (Poncet et al. 2014 PLoS One 9: e89547). Heterozygous Slc7a5+/- C57Bl/6 mice were viable and fertile and were bred free of Bal1-cre in subsequent generations. Slc7a5 -/- embryos were obtained by inter-crossing heterozygotes and a phenotype was apparent by E9.5. To identify the first cellular processes affected by Slc7a5 loss RNAseq was carried out to compare transcriptomes of null and wildtype E8.5 embryos.