Genetic Ablation of the CDP/Cux Protein C Terminus Results in Hair Cycle Defects and Reduced Male Fertility

The study investigated mice with a mutant CDP/Cux protein lacking the C terminus, which resulted in significantly reduced nuclear localization and loss of DNA binding activity in the nucleus. These homozygous mutant mice exhibited stunted growth, high postnatal death rates (60-70%), sparse abnormal coat hair, and severely reduced fertility. The findings suggested that CDP/Cux is essential for the developmental control of dermal and reproductive functions, as evidenced by the deregulated hair cycle and compromised fertility in the mutant mice.