Knockout of Pseudouridine synthase 1 (PUS1) in mice. [Liver]. Mus musculus

In an effort to produce a mouse model of Mitochondrial Myopathy with Lactic acidosis and Sideroblastic Anemia (MLASA), we knocked out the gene for Pseudouridine synthase 1 (PUS1), an enzyme that modifies uridine to pseudouridine in many cytoplasmic and mitochondrial tRNAs, as well as other cellular RNAs. The Pus1-/- mice are viable, are born at the expected Mendelian frequency, and are non-dysmorphic. The PUS1 mRNA and certain pseudouridine modifications are absent in cytoplasmic and mitochondrial tRNAs in the Pus1-/- mice. The Pus1-/- mice display reduce exercise capacity at 14 weeks, with alterations in muscle morphology, histology, and physiology. Red gastrocnemius muscle from Pus1-/- mice shows reduced number and size of mitochondria and reduced Cytochrome C oxidase activity. Overall design: Two-condition, two-color experiment: Mouse wild type PUS1 and homozygous mutant PUS1 liver tissue samples: 4 biological replicates each.