Functional genetic mouse models: promising tools for investigation of the proteolytic internet

2009 ◽  
Vol 390 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Achim Krüger
Keyword(s):  
Mouse Models ◽  
Knockout Mice ◽  
Gold Standard ◽  
Disease Susceptibility ◽  
Molecular Polymorphism ◽  
Specific Protease ◽  
Molecular Phenotypes ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Genetic Mouse Models

Abstract Knockout mice are the gold standard to probe for the role of a specific protease within the interacting network of proteases, substrates, and inhibitors. This proteolytic network, or protease web, determines cell signaling and organ homeostasis. Therefore, protease deficiency or inhibition is intrinsically tied to alterations within this network, always leading to new molecular phenotypes, which define susceptibility of an organ to disease. Furthermore, recent hints, mainly from research on matrix metalloproteinases, about the impact of the protease web on inter-organ signaling molecules suggest the existence of a proteolytic internet of communicating local organ- or molecular polymorphism-specific networks, thereby defining homeostasis and disease susceptibility in the whole organism.

IMMU-22. THE IMPACT OF MICROGLIA MODULATION ON GBM PROGRESSION IN SYNGENEIC MOUSE MODELS

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (Supplement_6) ◽  
pp. vi96-vi96
Author(s):  
Marie-Françoise Ritz ◽  
Tala Shekarian ◽  
Tomás A Martins ◽  
Philip Schmassmann ◽  
Gregor Hutter
Keyword(s):  
Mouse Models ◽  
Tumor Development ◽  
Adaptive Immune Response ◽  
Tamoxifen Treatment ◽  
Mouse Strains ◽  
Intracerebral Injection ◽  
Adaptive Immune ◽  
Tumor Immune Microenvironment ◽  
The Impact

Abstract BACKGROUND The tumor immune microenvironment (TME) of Glioblastoma consists of almost myeloid-derived macrophages and microglia called TAMs. We have shown that the disruption of CD47-Sirpα-axis induces an antitumor activity of TAMs against GBM in immune-deficient mice, through increases of phagocytosis of tumor cells by TAMs. We have aimed to study the role of microglia and its activation/depletion on GBM progression, in the syngeneic GBM model in immune-competent mice. We have studied the interplay of innate and adaptive immune response after activation and depletion of microglia and the effect on tumor progression and outcome of the mice. MATERIAL AND METHODS We used different colonies of genetically modified immunocompetent mouse strains to genetically activate/deplete microglia in the tumor context. We generated Sall1 CreERT2/fl mice and Cre-negative littermates. The application of Tamoxifen in this constellation leads to the excision of the transcription factor Sall1 and subsequent enhanced microglia activity. Conversely, we generated Sall1 CreERT2 x Csf1r fl/fl animals and the respective heterozygous and Cre-negative littermates in which Tamoxifen treatment leads to inactivation of microglia through the deletion of Csf1r. Glioblastoma tumors were induced by intracerebral injection of GL261, CT2A, or retrovirus-induced PDGF-Akt in pups and Tamoxifen treatment was started once the tumors were detected. RESULTS We observed a survival advantage in tumor-bearing mice after activation of microglia in Sall1 CreERT/fl animals compared to Cre-negative littermates. Genetic depletion of microglia in this model resulted in a shorter lifespan in microglia-depleted animals compared to Cre-negative littermates. Furthermore, the iTME in these tumors is subjected to scRNAseq analysis to identify mechanistic insights. CONCLUSION Microglia are important players in tumor development and progression of glioblastoma in mouse models. These cells may be targeted in future immunotherapeutic approaches for patients.

scholarly journals Immunotoxicity of Xenobiotics in Fish: A Role for the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR)?

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (17) ◽  
pp. 9460
Author(s):  
Helmut Segner ◽  
Christyn Bailey ◽  
Carolina Tafalla ◽  
Jun Bo
Keyword(s):  
Immune System ◽  
Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor ◽  
Disease Susceptibility ◽  
Immune Cell ◽  
Physiological Role ◽  
Immune Gene ◽  
Immune Systems ◽  
Aryl Hydrocarbon ◽  
The Impact

The impact of anthropogenic contaminants on the immune system of fishes is an issue of growing concern. An important xenobiotic receptor that mediates effects of chemicals, such as halogenated aromatic hydrocarbons (HAHs) and polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), is the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Fish toxicological research has focused on the role of this receptor in xenobiotic biotransformation as well as in causing developmental, cardiac, and reproductive toxicity. However, biomedical research has unraveled an important physiological role of the AhR in the immune system, what suggests that this receptor could be involved in immunotoxic effects of environmental contaminants. The aims of the present review are to critically discuss the available knowledge on (i) the expression and possible function of the AhR in the immune systems of teleost fishes; and (ii) the impact of AhR-activating xenobiotics on the immune systems of fish at the levels of immune gene expression, immune cell proliferation and immune cell function, immune pathology, and resistance to infectious disease. The existing information indicates that the AhR is expressed in the fish immune system, but currently, we have little understanding of its physiological role. Exposure to AhR-activating contaminants results in the modulation of numerous immune structural and functional parameters of fish. Despite the diversity of fish species studied and the experimental conditions investigated, the published findings rather uniformly point to immunosuppressive actions of xenobiotic AhR ligands in fish. These effects are often associated with increased disease susceptibility. The fact that fish populations from HAH- and PAH-contaminated environments suffer immune disturbances and elevated disease susceptibility highlights that the immunotoxic effects of AhR-activating xenobiotics bear environmental relevance.

scholarly journals Similarities and differences between IL11 and IL11RA1 knockout mice for lung fibro-inflammation, fertility and craniosynostosis

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin Ng ◽  
Anissa A. Widjaja ◽  
Sivakumar Viswanathan ◽  
Jinrui Dong ◽  
Sonia P. Chothani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Knockout Mice ◽  
Lung Fibroblasts ◽  
Loss Of Function ◽  
Wild Type ◽  
Reduced Body ◽  
Body Weights ◽  
Show Evidence ◽  
Similarities And Differences ◽  
The Impact

AbstractGenetic loss of function (LOF) in IL11RA infers IL11 signaling as important for fertility, fibrosis, inflammation and craniosynostosis. The impact of genetic LOF in IL11 has not been characterized. We generated IL11-knockout (Il11-/-) mice, which are born in normal Mendelian ratios, have normal hematological profiles and are protected from bleomycin-induced lung fibro-inflammation. Noticeably, baseline IL6 levels in the lungs of Il11-/- mice are lower than those of wild-type mice and are not induced by bleomycin damage, placing IL11 upstream of IL6. Lung fibroblasts from Il11-/- mice are resistant to pro-fibrotic stimulation and show evidence of reduced autocrine IL11 activity. Il11-/- female mice are infertile. Unlike Il11ra1-/- mice, Il11-/- mice do not have a craniosynostosis-like phenotype and exhibit mildly reduced body weights. These data highlight similarities and differences between LOF in IL11 or IL11RA while establishing further the role of IL11 signaling in fibrosis and stromal inflammation.

Abstract MP204: Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Kinase Isozyme Specific Regulation Of Protein Acetylation In Cardiac Tissue

2021 ◽  
Vol 129 (Suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Chae-Myeong Ha ◽  
Adam R Wende
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Heart Disease ◽  
Knockout Mice ◽  
Pyruvate Dehydrogenase ◽  
Cardiac Tissue ◽  
Cell Protein ◽  
Protein Acetylation ◽  
Acetyl Coa ◽  
The Impact

Heart disease is the number one cause of death in developed countries. Metabolic diseases influence the severity of heart disease linked to risk factors which are thought to alter epigenetic mechanisms. Pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) kinases (PDK), which phosphorylate and reduce the activity of PDH the nexus of glucose oxidation and fatty acid oxidation are sensitive to metabolic status. Four isozymes of PDK (PDK1-4) exist with PDK2 and PDK4 as the major regulators in cardiac tissue. Owing to the role of PDH in regulating pyruvate to acetyl-CoA, we hypothesized that PDK inhibition may regulate protein acetylation through increasing acetyl-CoA because of PDH activation leading to post-translational modifications both directly to proteins in metabolic pathways as well as to histones associated with the genes encoding them. To test this, we utilized PDK2 germline knockout mice (P2KO), PDK4 germline knockout mice (P4KO), and PDK2 and PDK4 double knockout (DKO) mice for molecular analysis. Our results identify a novel increase in whole-cell protein acetylation in P2KO left ventricle tissue (LV). However, protein acetylation in P4KO LV was not changed compared to WT mice. The most robust protein acetylation was observed in the DKO LV. Furthermore, when we explored sub-cellular distribution of protein acetylation, the greatest increases were found on cytoplasmic proteins, with moderate changes in mitochondrial proteins. We also found PDK2 ablation induces histone H3 acetylation, which may also lead to changes in gene expression. Moreover, this protein acetylation in P2KO and DKO was not seen in other tissues examined (e.g., liver, skeletal muscle). The hyperacetylation is robust in male LV compared to female LV. In conclusion, our study supports a novel protein acetylation mechanism that is both tissue and PDK isozyme specific highlighting the role of PDK2, which is relatively understudied compared to PDK4 in heart disease. Further study will evaluate if the hyperacetylation has a beneficial effect in various heart disease settings as well as identify the impact on changes in gene expression. This study supports PDK isozyme-specific inhibition strategies will be required to develop therapeutic targets of cardiovascular disease with metabolic inflexibility.

scholarly journals Increased Human Wildtype Tau Attenuates Axonal Transport Deficits Caused by Loss of App in Mouse Models

2010 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
pp. MRI.S5237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen D.B. Smith ◽  
Erica Peethumnongsin ◽  
Han Lin ◽  
Hui Zheng ◽  
Robia G. Pautler
Keyword(s):  
Synaptic Plasticity ◽  
Axonal Transport ◽  
Mouse Models ◽  
Knockout Mice ◽  
Early Age ◽  
Axonal Elongation ◽  
Protein Tau ◽  
Manganese Enhanced Mri

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) is implicated in axonal elongation, synaptic plasticity, and axonal transport. However, the role of APP on axonal transport in conjunction with the microtubule associated protein tau continues to be debated. Here we measured in vivo axonal transport in APP knockout mice with Manganese Enhanced MRI (MEMRI) to determine whether APP is necessary for maintaining normal axonal transport. We also tested how overexpression and mutations of tau affect axonal transport in the presence or absence of APP. In vivo axonal transport reduced significantly in the absence of functional APP. Overexpression of human wildtype tau maintained normal axonal transport and resulted in a transient compensation of axonal transport deficits in the absence of APP. Mutant R406Wtau in combination with the absence of APP compounded axonal transport deficits and these deficits persisted with age. These results indicate that APP is necessary for axonal transport, and overexpression of human wildtype tau can compensate for the absence of APP at an early age.

Role of the Vnn1 pantetheinase in tissue tolerance to stress

2014 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 1094-1100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philippe Naquet ◽  
Giuseppina Pitari ◽  
Sylvestro Duprè ◽  
Franck Galland
Keyword(s):  
Present Article ◽  
Mouse Models ◽  
Adaptive Response ◽  
Vitamin B5 ◽  
The Impact

Pantetheinase is an ubiquitous enzyme which hydrolyses D-pantetheine into cysteamine and pantothenate (vitamin B5) on the dissimilative pathway of CoA. Pantetheinase isoforms are encoded by the Vnn (vanin) genes and Vnn1 is the predominant tissue isoform in mice and humans. In the present article, we review the results showing the regulation of Vnn1 expression during developmental, repair and inflammatory situations and the impact of a Vnn1 deficiency in mouse models of pathologies. We document the involvement of the Vnn1 pantetheinase in situations of increased tissue needs and propose that Vnn1 through recycling of pantothenate and release of cysteamine in tissues participates in the adaptive response of the tissue to stress.

The role of APP and APLP for synaptic transmission, plasticity, and network function: lessons from genetic mouse models

2011 ◽  
Vol 217 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 435-440 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Korte ◽  
Ulrike Herrmann ◽  
Xiaomin Zhang ◽  
Andreas Draguhn
Keyword(s):  
Synaptic Transmission ◽  
Mouse Models ◽  
Network Function ◽  
Genetic Mouse Models

scholarly journals Placental glycogen stores and fetal growth: insights from genetic mouse models

Reproduction ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 159 (6) ◽  
pp. R213-R235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simon J Tunster ◽  
Erica D Watson ◽  
Abigail L Fowden ◽  
Graham J Burton
Keyword(s):  
Mouse Models ◽  
Fetal Growth ◽  
Maternal Diabetes ◽  
Glycogen Storage ◽  
Waste Products ◽  
And Function ◽  
Glycogen Stores ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Genetic Mouse Models

The placenta performs a range of crucial functions that support fetal growth during pregnancy, including facilitating the supply of oxygen and nutrients to the fetus, removal of waste products from the fetus and the endocrine modulation of maternal physiology. The placenta also stores glucose in the form of glycogen, the function of which remains unknown. Aberrant placental glycogen storage in humans is associated with maternal diabetes during pregnancy and pre-eclampsia, thus linking placental glycogen storage and metabolism to pathological pregnancies. To understand the role of placental glycogen in normal and complicated pregnancies, we must turn to animal models. Over 40 targeted mutations in mice demonstrate the defects in placental cells that store glycogen and suggest that placental glycogen represents a source of readily mobilized glucose required during periods of high fetal demand. However, direct functional evidence is currently lacking. Here, we evaluate these genetic mouse models with placental phenotypes that implicate glycogen trophoblast cell differentiation and function to illuminate the common molecular pathways that emerge and to better understand the relationship between placental glycogen and fetal growth. We highlight the current limitations in exploring the key questions regarding placental glycogen storage and metabolism and define how to experimentally overcome these constraints.

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