BALB/c nude

Strain details
Nomenclature	BALB/c-Foxn1^nu/Ozarc
Common name	BALB/c nude
Synonyms	BALB/c nu, Nude
Strain	Mutant inbred
Coat Colour	Albino (A/A Tyrp1b/Tyrp1b Tyrc/Tyrc)
Species	Mouse
Genetic background	-
Location	Area Oz1
Weekly wean target	100 males,100 females

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Strain description

Features

MHC haplotype: H2K^d
Complement factor: C5 normal
Haired when heterozygous, nude when homozygous
Nude is an autosomal recessive mutation located on chromosome 11.
Foxn1^nu – autosomal recessive Forkhead box N1.
Typically, litters consist of equal nude and haired offspring. Preweaner nudes are not as robust as heterozygous littermates and are prone to heat loss, dehydration and slower weight gains. Hence, they should not be weaned before 4 weeks of age.
Prone to dust in their eyes due to lack of eyelashes.
Homozygous are athymic.
Female nu/+ prone to cystitis.
The two major defects are failure of hair growth and dysgenesis of thymic epithelium due to developmental failure of the thymic anlage arising from the 3^rd pharyngeal pouch.
The defect lies in the thymic epithelium, there bring no intrinsic defect in T cell precursors.
Nude mice respond poorly to thymus-dependent antigens because of a defect in helper T-cell activity.
Reponses to thymus-independent antigens is normal.
Normal or increased NK cell activities is present.
Housed in an isolator – immunodeficient.

Origin

WEHI obtained non-inbred stock carrying the nude gene and through backcrossing with a BALB/c strain obtained from Bradley, Melbourne University (1965), established the mutant gene on a BALB/c background. ANSTO received stock from WEHI in 1976 as N8. ARC Received from them from Australian Nuclear Science & Technology Organisation(ANSTO), NSW in 1987 as N38.
BALB/c nude strain is transferred from ARC to Ozgene ARC in 2023.

The BALB/c mouse is among the most widely used inbred models used in biomedical research, and is particularly utilized in immunology and infectious disease research. Their ability to produce plasma cell tumours within soft tissue is important in the production of monoclonal antibodies (mAbs).