Production of CFTR-ΔF508 Rabbits

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a lethal autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in the gene encoding the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). The most common mutation is the deletion of phenylalanine residue at position 508 (Delta F508). Here we report the production of CFTR-Delta F508 rabbits by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene editing. After microinjection and embryo transfer, 77 kits were born, of which five carried the Delta F508 mutation. To confirm the germline transmission, one male Delta F508 founder was bred with two wild-type females and produced 16 F1 generation kits, of which six are heterozygous Delta F508/WT animals. Our work adds CFTR-Delta F508 rabbits to the toolbox of CF animal models for biomedical research.

Automated summary

This study successfully generated CFTR-Delta F508 rabbits using CRISPR/Cas9 technology and confirmed their germline transmission. This provides a new tool for research on cystic fibrosis models and lays the foundation for future biomedical studies.