| 216285 | Q8C8B0 | ALX1_MOUSE | ALX homeobox protein 1 (Cartilage homeoprotein 1) (CART-1) | DISRUPTION PHENOTYPE | Mice lacking Alx1 die within 24 hours of birth. The overt phenotype is acrania and degeneration of unprotected brain tissues. This is most probably the cause of the death since no other abnormality in limbs and visceral tissues is observed. The defect in cranial bone formation may be a consequence of extensive loss of forebrain head mesenchyme due to cell death and neural tube closure defects earlier during development. The penetrance of the acrania/meroanencephaly phenotype is variable between mice strains. Heterozygous mice appear normal and fertile. {ECO:0000269|PubMed:8673125}. |