A genopedia of lupus genes - lessons from gene knockouts.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the quintessential complex, multifactorial systemic autoimmune disease. In particular, it is highly polygenic in origin in both humans and animal models. Mouse models of lupus help uncover the genetic and cellular etiologies of the disease, which often implicate homeostatic imbalances in specific cell types and pathways. This review compiles and explores the contributions of specific genes in genetically manipulated mouse models that develop lupus spontaneously. A current version of this compilation can be found on SLE BASE at http://www.mohanlab.org/SLE_BASE/gene.