Sod1 Knockout mouse models
Cytosolic superoxide detoxification is carried out by Sod1, the mouse ortholog of human SOD1, encoding copper and zinc superoxide dismutase, a beta-barrel homodimer stabilized by an intrasubunit Cys57 to Cys146 disulfide and metallated by the copper chaperone CCS, which dismutates superoxide to hydrogen peroxide and oxygen in cytosol and mitochondrial intermembrane space. More than 180 dominant SOD1 mutations, including G93A, G85R, and A4V, cause ALS1 through gain of toxic function involving misfolding, aberrant metal handling, and aggregation rather than loss of dismutase activity, a distinction confirmed because Sod1 knockout mice do not develop motor neuron disease but instead show distal axonopathy, hearing loss, muscle atrophy, and oxidative damage. Allele design therefore favors patient missense knockins at the endogenous locus over overexpression transgenes when physiologic dosage matters, with humanized alleles required for tofersen-class antisense oligonucleotide testing and conditional nulls reserved for cell-autonomy questions.
Whole body loss of Sod1 gives the clearest readout when the question is whether the gene is required at all. Follow up tissue work can still move to a conditional allele if lethality or compensation appears.
What Sod1 Knockout mouse models are available?
ingenious targeting laboratory offers 2 distinct Sod1 knockout catalog mouse models. Researchers can order pre-developed catalog lines or request a custom mouse model, including humanized, knockin, and transgenic variations with verified germline transmission.
Designing a Sod1 Knockout allele
The single most useful fact about this allele is a negative result. Homozygous nulls are viable and never develop motor neuron disease, the load-bearing evidence that patient mutations act by toxic gain of function rather than by enzymatic insufficiency, so any project proposing this line as an ALS model has made a category error. What the null does deliver is oxidative-stress biology: age-dependent muscle atrophy, cochlear hair cell loss with rising auditory thresholds, reduced female fertility, and markedly impaired axon regeneration after nerve injury. Delete the coding exons entirely, confirm absence of activity by in-gel assay rather than transcript alone, then verify Sod2 and Sod3 are unchanged before attributing anything to compensation. Strain background modifies every oxidative endpoint, so fix and report it. Score dismutase activity, protein carbonyls, isoprostanes, grip strength, junction fragmentation, and auditory thresholds.
A conventional knockout answers whether the gene is required broadly. When your target tissue is the organ of interest, a global null can still be informative if viability is acceptable and you want the simplest genotype. If the null is harsh, a floxed allele with a regional Cre is the safer long term platform.
Pricing and quotes
The Sod1 Knockout lines listed above are catalog models. Send us the catalog number and our team confirms current availability, pricing, and whether the line ships cryopreserved or live.
If your study needs a Sod1 allele configuration that is not listed above, our scientific team designs and generates it. Model generation quotes return in about twenty four hours with project milestones and pricing.
FAQ
What Sod1 Knockout mouse models are available?
When Sod1 Knockout lines are in catalog, we ship from inventory. If your configuration is not listed, we design the allele to order. Common paths include conditional knockout, constitutive knockout, humanized, knockin, and transgenic options, with documented germline transmission and United States QC.
Is Sod1 knockout embryonic lethal in mice?
It depends on background and allele design. Some Sod1 germline knockouts are viable. Others need conditional alleles or mixed backgrounds. We review publications and our own experience, then recommend floxed versus null before you commit.
Which Cre driver is best for experiments?
Driver choice depends on onset timing, recombination efficiency, and known leak. We map your organ and cell type to a short list of proven Cre lines, then talk through reporter crosses and controls. We favor drivers with strong community validation for your tissue.
Do you ship live Sod1 animals?
When catalog lines are live, we ship with health certificates and QC documentation. If your exact combo is not listed, we quote a generation project with cryo or live dispatch depending on cohort timing and geography.
How do I request a quote for Sod1?
Use the catalog inquire buttons or the request quote form. Include your allele goal, Cre plan if any, strain background, and cohort size. A PhD led team responds with pricing, milestones, and the fastest path to experimental animals.