scholarly journals Targeted Disruption of Ras-Grf2 Shows Its Dispensability for Mouse Growth and Development

2002 ◽  
Vol 22 (8) ◽  
pp. 2498-2504 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alberto Fernández-Medarde ◽  
Luis M. Esteban ◽  
Alejandro Núñez ◽  
Ángel Porteros ◽  
Lino Tessarollo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Memory Loss ◽  
Long Term Memory ◽  
Null Mutant ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Mouse Development ◽  
Elevated Expression ◽  
Null Mutant Mice ◽  
Histopathological Studies

ABSTRACT The mammalian Grf1 and Grf2 proteins are Ras guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) sharing a high degree of structural homology, as well as an elevated expression level in central nervous system tissues. Such similarities raise questions concerning the specificity and/or redundancy at the functional level between the two Grf proteins. grf1-null mutant mice have been recently described which showed phenotypic growth reduction and long-term memory loss. To gain insight into the in vivo function of Grf2, we disrupted its catalytic CDC25-H domain by means of gene targeting. Breeding among grf2 +/− animals gave rise to viable grf2 −/− adult animals with a normal Mendelian pattern, suggesting that Grf2 is not essential for embryonic and adult mouse development. In contrast to Grf1-null mice, analysis of grf2 −/− litters showed similar size and weight as their heterozygous or wild-type grf2 counterparts. Furthermore, adult grf2 −/− animals reached sexual maturity at the same age as their wild-type littermates and showed similar fertility levels. No specific pathology was observed in adult Grf2-null animals, and histopathological studies showed no observable differences between null mutant and wild-type Grf2 mice. These results indicate that grf2 is dispensable for mouse growth, development, and fertility. Furthermore, analysis of double grf1/grf2 null animals did not show any observable phenotypic difference with single grf1 −/− animals, further indicating a lack of functional overlapping between the two otherwise highly homologous Grf1 and Grf2 proteins.

scholarly journals Ras-Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factor Sos2 Is Dispensable for Mouse Growth and Development

2000 ◽  
Vol 20 (17) ◽  
pp. 6410-6413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis M. Esteban ◽  
Alberto Fernández-Medarde ◽  
Eva López ◽  
Kate Yienger ◽  
Carmen Guerrero ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tyrosine Kinases ◽  
Surface Protein ◽  
Histopathological Analysis ◽  
Guanine Nucleotide ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Embryo Viability ◽  
Mouse Development ◽  
Guanine Nucleotide Exchange

ABSTRACT The mammalian sos1 and sos2 genes encode highly homologous members of the Son-of-sevenless family of guanine nucleotide exchange factors. They are ubiquitously expressed and play key roles in transmission of signals initiated by surface protein tyrosine kinases that are transduced into the cell through the action of membrane-associated Ras proteins. Recent reports showed that targeted disruption of the sos1 locus results in embryonic lethality. To gain insight into the in vivo function ofsos2, we disrupted its catalytic CDC25-H domain by means of gene targeting techniques. Mating among heterozygous sos2+/− mice produced viablesos2 −/− offspring with a normal Mendelian pattern of inheritance, indicating that the loss of sos2does not interfere with embryo viability in the uterus. Adult homozygous mutant sos2−/− mice reached sexual maturity at the same age as their wild-type littermates, and both male and female null mutants were fertile. Histopathological analysis showed no observable differences between mutant and wild-type mice. Our results show that unlike the case for sos1,sos2 gene function is dispensable for normal mouse development, growth, and fertility.

scholarly journals Neurons Expressing the Highest Levels of γ-Synuclein Are Unaffected by Targeted Inactivation of the Gene

2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (22) ◽  
pp. 8233-8245 ◽  
Author(s):  
Natalia Ninkina ◽  
Katerina Papachroni ◽  
Darren C. Robertson ◽  
Oliver Schmidt ◽  
Liz Delaney ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Es Cells ◽  
Culture Conditions ◽  
Sensory Function ◽  
Mutant Mice ◽  
Null Mutant ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Complete Inactivation ◽  
Null Mutant Mice

ABSTRACT Homologous recombination in ES cells was employed to generate mice with targeted deletion of the first three exons of the γ-synuclein gene. Complete inactivation of gene expression in null mutant mice was confirmed on the mRNA and protein levels. Null mutant mice are viable, are fertile, and do not display evident phenotypical abnormalities. The effects of γ-synuclein deficiency on motor and peripheral sensory neurons were studied by various methods in vivo and in vitro. These two types of neurons were selected because they both express high levels of γ-synuclein from the early stages of mouse embryonic development but later in the development they display different patterns of intracellular compartmentalization of the protein. We found no difference in the number of neurons between wild-type and null mutant animals in several brain stem motor nuclei, in lumbar dorsal root ganglia, and in the trigeminal ganglion. The survival of γ-synuclein-deficient trigeminal neurons in various culture conditions was not different from that of wild-type neurons. There was no difference in the numbers of myelinated and nonmyelinated fibers in the saphenous nerves of these animals, and sensory reflex thresholds were also intact in γ-synuclein null mutant mice. Nerve injury led to similar changes in sensory function in wild-type and mutant mice. Taken together, our data suggest that like α-synuclein, γ-synuclein is dispensable for the development and function of the nervous system.

scholarly journals Erythroid-specific expression of the erythropoietin receptor rescued its null mutant mice from lethality

Blood ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 100 (7) ◽  
pp. 2279-2288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Norio Suzuki ◽  
Osamu Ohneda ◽  
Satoru Takahashi ◽  
Masato Higuchi ◽  
Harumi Y. Mukai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heart Development ◽  
Erythropoietin Receptor ◽  
Mutant Mice ◽  
Null Mutant ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Erythroid Progenitors ◽  
Mouse Development ◽  
Specific Expression ◽  
Null Mutant Mice ◽  
Epor Expression

Erythropoietin (Epo) and its receptor (EpoR) are indispensable to erythropoiesis. Although roles besides angiogenesis, such as neuroprotection and heart development, have been reported for the Epo-EpoR system, the precise contribution of Epo-EpoR to these nonhematopoietic tissues requires clarification. Exploiting aGATA-1 minigene cassette with hematopoietic regulatory domains, we established 2 lines of transgene-rescued EpoR-null mutant mice expressing EpoR exclusively in the hematopoietic lineage. Surprisingly, despite the lack of EpoR expression in nonhematopoietic tissues, these mice develop normally and are fertile. As such, we could exploit them for analyzing the roles of the Epo-EpoR system in adult hematopoiesis and in nonhematopoietic tissues. These rescued lines showed a differential level of EpoR expression in erythroid cells; one expressed approximately 40%, and the other expressed 120% of the wild-type EpoR level. A colony formation assay showed that erythroid progenitors in the 2 mutant lines exhibit distinct sensitivity to Epo. The circulating Epo level was much higher in the transgenic line with a lower EpoR expression. In response to induced anemia, the plasma Epo concentrations increased in both lines. Notably, the timing of the peak of plasma Epo concentration was delayed in both lines of rescued mice compared with wild type, suggesting that, in wild-type mice, nonhematopoietic EpoR contributes to the regulation of plasma Epo concentration. We thus conclude that nonhematopoietic expression of EpoR is dispensable to normal mouse development and that the expression level of EpoR regulates erythropoiesis by controlling the sensitivity of erythroid progenitors to Epo.

Expression of mutant eukaryotic initiation factor 2 alpha subunit (eIF-2 alpha) reduces inhibition of guanine nucleotide exchange activity of eIF-2B mediated by eIF-2 alpha phosphorylation

1994 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 4546-4553
Author(s):  
K V Ramaiah ◽  
M V Davies ◽  
J J Chen ◽  
R J Kaufman
Keyword(s):  
Protein Synthesis ◽  
Initiation Factor ◽  
Guanine Nucleotide ◽  
Eukaryotic Initiation Factor ◽  
Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Guanine Nucleotide Exchange ◽  
Initiation Factor 2 ◽  
Exchange Activity

The inhibition of protein synthesis that occurs upon phosphorylation of the alpha subunit of eukaryotic initiation factor 2 (eIF-2 alpha) at serine 51 correlates with reduced guanine nucleotide exchange activity of eIF-2B in vivo and inhibition of eIF-2B activity in vitro, although it is not known if phosphorylation is the cause of the reduced eIF-2B activity in vivo. To characterize the importance of eIF-2 alpha phosphorylation in the regulation of eIF-2B activity, we studied the overexpression of mutant eIF-2 alpha subunits in which serine 48 or 51 was replaced by an alanine (48A or 51A mutant). Previous studies demonstrated that the 51A mutant was resistant to phosphorylation, whereas the 48A mutant was a substrate for phosphorylation. Additionally, expression of either mutant partially protected Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells from the inhibition of protein synthesis in response to heat shock treatment (P. Murtha-Riel, M. V. Davies, J. B. Scherer, S. Y. Choi, J. W. B. Hershey, and R. J. Kaufman, J. Biol. Chem. 268:12946-12951, 1993). In this study, we show that eIF-2B activity was inhibited in parental CHO cell extracts upon addition of purified reticulocyte heme-regulated inhibitor (HRI), an eIF-2 alpha kinase that phosphorylates Ser-51. Preincubation with purified HRI also reduced the eIF-2B activity in extracts from cells overexpressing wild-type eIF-2 alpha. In contrast, the eIF-2B activity was not readily inhibited in extracts from cells overexpressing either the eIF-2 alpha 48A or 51A mutant. In addition, eIF-2B activity was decreased in extracts prepared from heat-shocked cells overexpressing wild-type eIF-2 alpha, whereas the decrease in eIF-2B activity was less in heat-shocked cells overexpressing either mutant 48A or mutant 51A. While the phosphorylation at serine 51 in eIF-2 alpha impairs the eIF-2B activity, we propose that serine 48 acts to maintain a high affinity between phosphorylated eIF-2 alpha and eIF-2B, thereby inactivating eIF-2B activity. These findings support the hypothesis that phosphorylation of eIF-2 alpha inhibits protein synthesis directly through reducing eIF-2B activity and emphasize the importance of both serine 48 and serine 51 in the interaction with eIF-2B and regulation of eIF-2B activity.

scholarly journals Interleukin-6 Deficiency Increases Inflammatory Bone Destruction

2001 ◽  
Vol 69 (2) ◽  
pp. 744-750 ◽  
Author(s):  
Khaled Balto ◽  
Hajime Sasaki ◽  
Philip Stashenko
Keyword(s):  
Bone Resorption ◽  
Interleukin 1 ◽  
Bone Destruction ◽  
Fusobacterium Nucleatum ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Periapical Lesions ◽  
Elevated Expression ◽  
Pulp Exposure ◽  
Anti Inflammatory

ABSTRACT Periapical bone destruction occurs as a consequence of pulpal infection. In previous studies, we showed that interleukin-1 (IL-1) is the primary stimulator of bone destruction in this model. IL-6 is a pleiotropic cytokine that is induced in these infections and has both pro- and anti-inflammatory activities. In the present study, we determined the role of IL-6 in regulating IL-1 expression and bone resorption. The first molars of IL-6 knockouts (IL-6−/−) and wild-type mice were subjected to surgical pulp exposure and infection with a mixture of four common pulpal pathogens, includingPrevotella intermedia, Fusobacterium nucleatum,Peptostreptococcus micros, and Streptococcus intermedius. Mice were killed after 21 days, and bone destruction and cytokine expression were determined. Surprisingly, bone destruction was significantly increased in IL-6−/− mice versus that in wild-type mice (by 30%; P < 0.001). In a second experiment, the effects of chronic (IL-6−/−) IL-6 deficiency and short-term IL-6 deficiency induced by in vivo antibody neutralization were determined. Both IL-6−/− (30%;P < 0.001) and anti-IL-6 antibody-treated mice (40%;P < 0.05) exhibited increased periapical bone resorption, compared to wild-type controls. The increased bone resorption in IL-6-deficient animals correlated with increases in osteoclast numbers, as well as with elevated expression of bone-resorptive cytokines IL-1α and IL-1β, in periapical lesions and with decreased expression of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10. These data demonstrate that endogenous IL-6 expression has significant anti-inflammatory effects in modulating infection-stimulated bone destruction in vivo.

scholarly journals The Centrosomal, Putative Tumor Suppressor Protein TACC2 Is Dispensable for Normal Development, and Deficiency Does Not Lead to Cancer

2004 ◽  
Vol 24 (14) ◽  
pp. 6403-6409 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael M. Schuendeln ◽  
Roland P. Piekorz ◽  
Christian Wichmann ◽  
Youngsoo Lee ◽  
Peter J. McKinnon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tumor Suppressor ◽  
Cell Cycle Progression ◽  
Tumor Development ◽  
Coiled Coil ◽  
Physiological Role ◽  
Tumor Suppressor Protein ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Mouse Development

ABSTRACT TACC2 is a member of the transforming acidic coiled-coil-containing protein family and is associated with the centrosome-spindle apparatus during cell cycling. In vivo, the TACC2 gene is expressed in various splice forms predominantly in postmitotic tissues, including heart, muscle, kidney, and brain. Studies of human breast cancer samples and cell lines suggest a putative role of TACC2 as a tumor suppressor protein. To analyze the physiological role of TACC2, we generated mice lacking TACC2. TACC2-deficient mice are viable, develop normally, are fertile, and lack phenotypic changes compared to wild-type mice. Furthermore, TACC2 deficiency does not lead to an increased incidence of tumor development. Finally, in TACC2-deficient embryonic fibroblasts, proliferation and cell cycle progression as well as centrosome numbers are comparable to those in wild-type cells. Therefore, TACC2 is not required, nonredundantly, for mouse development and normal cell proliferation and is not a tumor suppressor protein.

scholarly journals The Histidine Triad Protein Hint Is Not Required for Murine Development or Cdk7 Function

2003 ◽  
Vol 23 (11) ◽  
pp. 3929-3935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nina Korsisaari ◽  
Derrick J. Rossi ◽  
Keijo Luukko ◽  
Kay Huebner ◽  
Mark Henkemeyer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Kinase Activity ◽  
Protein Gene ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Mouse Development ◽  
Embryonic Fibroblasts ◽  
Normal Life Span ◽  
Abnormal Pathology ◽  
Deficient Mice ◽  
Apparently Healthy

ABSTRACT The histidine triad (HIT) protein Hint has been found to associate with mammalian Cdk7, as well as to interact both physically and genetically with the budding yeast Cdk7 homologue Kin28. To study the function of Hint and to explore its possible role in modulating Cdk7 activity in vivo, we have characterized the expression pattern of murine Hint and generated Hint-deficient (Hint −/−) mice. Hint was widely expressed during mouse development, with pronounced expression in several neuronal ganglia, epithelia, hearts, and testes from embryonic day 15 onward. Despite this widespread expression, disruption of Hint did not impair murine development. Moreover, Hint-deficient mice had a normal life span and were apparently healthy. Histological examination of tissues with high Hint expression in wild-type animals did not show signs of abnormal pathology in Hint −/− mice. Functional redundancy within the HIT family was addressed by crossing Hint −/− mice with mice lacking the related HIT protein, Fhit, and by assaying the expression levels of the HIT protein gene family members Hint2 and Hint3 in Hint +/+ and Hint −/− tissues. Finally, Cdk7 kinase activity and cell cycle kinetics were found to be comparable in wild-type and Hint −/− mouse embryonic fibroblasts, suggesting that Hint may not be a key regulator of Cdk7 activity.

scholarly journals SLAM (CD150)-Independent Measles Virus Entry as Revealed by Recombinant Virus Expressing Green Fluorescent Protein

2002 ◽  
Vol 76 (13) ◽  
pp. 6743-6749 ◽  
Author(s):  
Koji Hashimoto ◽  
Nobuyuki Ono ◽  
Hironobu Tatsuo ◽  
Hiroko Minagawa ◽  
Makoto Takeda ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Green Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Measles Virus ◽  
Fluorescent Protein ◽  
Infected Individual ◽  
Lymphocyte Activation ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Low Efficiency ◽  
Histopathological Studies ◽  
Green Fluorescent

ABSTRACT Wild-type measles virus (MV) strains use human signaling lymphocyte activation molecule (SLAM) as a cellular receptor, while vaccine strains such as the Edmonston strain can use both SLAM and CD46 as receptors. Although the expression of SLAM is restricted to cells of the immune system (lymphocytes, dendritic cells, and monocytes), histopathological studies with humans and experimentally infected monkeys have shown that MV also infects SLAM-negative cells, including epithelial, endothelial, and neuronal cells. In an attempt to explain these findings, we produced the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-expressing recombinant MV (IC323-EGFP) based on the wild-type IC-B strain. IC323-EGFP showed almost the same growth kinetics as the parental recombinant MV and produced large syncytia exhibiting green autofluorescence in SLAM-positive cells. Interestingly, all SLAM-negative cell lines examined also showed green autofluorescence after infection with IC323-EGFP, although the virus hardly spread from the originally infected individual cells and thus did not induce syncytia. When the number of EGFP-expressing cells after infection was taken as an indicator, the infectivities of IC323-EGFP for SLAM-negative cells were 2 to 3 logs lower than those for SLAM-positive cells. Anti-MV hemagglutinin antibody or fusion block peptide, but not anti-CD46 antibody, blocked IC323-EGFP infection of SLAM-negative cells. This infection occurred under conditions in which entry via endocytosis was inhibited. These results indicate that MV can infect a variety of cells, albeit with a low efficiency, by using an as yet unidentified receptor(s) other than SLAM or CD46, in part explaining the observed MV infection of SLAM-negative cells in vivo.

scholarly journals ςBldN, an Extracytoplasmic Function RNA Polymerase Sigma Factor Required for Aerial Mycelium Formation in Streptomyces coelicolor A3(2)

2000 ◽  
Vol 182 (16) ◽  
pp. 4606-4616 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen J. Bibb ◽  
Virginie Molle ◽  
Mark J. Buttner
Keyword(s):  
Rna Polymerase ◽  
Sigma Factor ◽  
Streptomyces Coelicolor ◽  
Aerial Mycelium ◽  
Sigma Factors ◽  
Colony Development ◽  
Null Mutant ◽  
Wild Type

ABSTRACT Sporulation mutants of Streptomyces coelicolor appear white because they are defective in the synthesis of the gray polyketide spore pigment, and such white (whi) mutants have been used to define 13 sporulation loci. whiN, one of five new whi loci identified in a recent screen of NTG (N-methyl-N′-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine)-inducedwhi strains (N. J. Ryding et al., J. Bacteriol. 181:5419–5425, 1999), was defined by two mutants, R112 and R650. R650 produced frequent spores that were longer than those of the wild type. In contrast, R112 produced long, straight, undifferentiated hyphae, although rare spore chains were observed, sometimes showing highly irregular septum placement. Subcloning and sequencing showed thatwhiN encodes a member of the extracytoplasmic function subfamily of RNA polymerase sigma factors and that the sigma factor has an unusual N-terminal extension of approximately 86 residues that is not present in other sigma factors. A constructed whiN null mutant failed to form aerial mycelium (the “bald” phenotype) and, as a consequence, whiN was renamed bldN. This observation was not totally unexpected because, on some media, the R112 point mutant produced substantially less aerial mycelium than its parent, M145. The bldN null mutant did not fit simply into the extracellular signaling cascade proposed for S. coelicolor bld mutants. Expression of bldN was analyzed during colony development in wild-type and aerial mycelium-deficientbld strains. bldN was transcribed from a single promoter, bldNp. bldN transcription was developmentally regulated, commencing approximately at the time of aerial mycelium formation, and depended on bldG and bldH, but not on bldA, bldB, bldC,bldF, bldK, or bldJ or onbldN itself. Transcription from the p1 promoter of the response-regulator gene bldM depended onbldN in vivo, and the bldMp1 promoter was shown to be a direct biochemical target for ςBldN holoenzyme in vitro.

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