The ADP-ribosylation factor 1 gene is indispensable for mouse embryonic development after implantation

•We established Arf1-deficient mice for the first time.•Arf1 is indispensable for mouse embryonic development after implantation.•Previously proposed cooperation model of Arfs should be re-examined. ADP-ribosylation factor (Arf) 1 is thought to affect the morphologies of organelles, such as the Golgi apparatus, and regulate protein trafficking pathways. Mice have six Arf isoforms. In knockdown experiments with HeLa cells, no single Arf isoform among Arf1–5 is required for organelle morphologies or any membrane trafficking step. This suggests that the cooperation of two or more Arfs is a general feature. Although many cell biological and biochemical analyses have proven the importance of Arf1, the physiological roles of Arf1 in mice remain unknown. To investigate the activity of Arf1 in vivo, we established Arf1-deficient mice. Arf−/− blastocysts were identified at the expected Mendelian ratio. The appearance of these blastocysts was indistinguishable from that of wild-type and Arf+/− blastocysts, and they grew normally in an in vitro culture system. However, Arf−/− embryos were degenerated at E5.5, and none survived to E12.5, suggesting that they died soon after implantation. These data establish for the first time that the Arf1 gene is indispensable for mouse embryonic development after implantation.