Mouse models for extracellular matrix diseases.

Mutations of a number of genes encoding for extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in mice have provided new insights regarding their role during development and disease. Many mouse strains have helped to verify the link between mutation and disease in humans, and others have produced unexpected phenotypes and identified new functions for ECM proteins. Finally, some null mutations in ECM genes provide no phenotypic alterations in mice, confronting the scientific community with a new challenge to search for their functions. This review lists all mouse strains with spontaneous and experimentally induced mutations in ECM genes. The phenotypes of these mice are discussed in comparison with the human diseases.