Patterning and gastrulation defects caused by the t(w18) lethal are due to loss of Ppp2r1a

The mouse t haplotype, a variant 20 cM genomic region on Chromosome 17, harbors 16 embryonic control genes identified by recessive lethal mutations isolated from wild mouse populations. Due to technical constraints so far only one of these, the t(w5) lethal, has been cloned and molecularly characterized. Here we report the molecular isolation of the t(w18) lethal. Embryos carrying the t(w18) lethal die from major gastrulation defects commencing with primitive streak formation at E6.5. We have used transcriptome and marker gene analyses to describe the molecular etiology of the t(w18) phenotype. We show that both WNT and Nodal signal transduction are impaired in the mutant epiblast, causing embryonic patterning defects and failure of primitive streak and mesoderm formation. By using a candidate gene approach, gene knockout by homologous recombination and genetic rescue, we have identified the gene causing the t(w18) phenotype as Ppp2r1a, encoding the PP2A scaffolding subunit PR65alpha. Our work highlights the importance of phosphatase 2A in embryonic patterning, primitive streak formation, gastrulation, and mesoderm formation downstream of WNT and Nodal signaling.