NEURONAL DEFECTS IN GENOTYPED DOMINANT MEGACOLON (DOM) MOUSE EMBRYOS,A MODEL FOR HIRSCHSPRUNG DISEASE

DOMINANT megacolon (Dom) is one of four mutations in the mouse which c an produce a phenotype similar to Hirschsprung disease in man. Here, w e report that it is possible to take advantage of two microsatellite m arkers to genotype Dom embryos and to study enteric neuronal developme nt in Dom embryos using whole-mount immunohistochemistry. Dom embryos present a variable defect in the ileo-caecal region, as do embryos of other murine models of Hirschsprung disease.