Two loxP sites were inserted sequentially into the gene separated by 65 kb of genomic sequence, flanking exons 2 to 21. The 5 and 3 neomycin resistance gene cassettes were removed by transfection of the correctly targeted ES cells with a Cre- or Flp-recombinase encoding expression plasmid, respectively. The final targeted loxP-flanked allele contains a loxP site in the first intron and a FRT/loxP site downstream in the 21st intron of the gene. (J:226676)