Generation of a New Tau Knockout (tau Δex1) Line Using CRISPR/Cas9 Genome Editing in Mice

Alzheimer's disease and other dementias present with tau pathology. Several mouse lines with knockout of the tau-encoding Mapt gene have been reported, yet findings often differed between lines and sites. Here, we report a new tau knockout strain (tau Δex1), generated by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated genome editing of intron -1/exon 1 of Mapt in C57Bl/6J mice. Tau Δex1 mice had no overt phenotype, but, in line with previous models, they showed a significantly reduced susceptibility to excitotoxic seizures, with normal memory formation in young mice. This new in vivo resource will be made freely available to the research community.