hACE2-All CDS-BALB/c Mouse

Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is the predominant cell surface receptor for SARS-CoV-2 virus infection in humans, but due to interspecies differences, the SARS-CoV-2 virus is unable to bind to ACE2 receptors in most wild-type rodents, including mice. Replacement of mouse Ace2 with human ACE2 by gene editing techniques resulted in humanized ACE2 mice (hACE2) that stably express human ACE2 receptors for COVID-19 studies.

This strain is a mouse Ace2 gene humanization model that uses gene editing technology to replace the endogenous mouse Ace2 gene sequence with human ACE2 CDS, preserving the mouse signal peptide sequence and achieving hACE2 expression directed by the endogenous mouse Ace2 regulatory element. This gene is located on the mouse chromosome X. Homozygous females and heterozygous males are viable and fertile.