Faculty Opinions recommendation of Targeted gene disruption reveals the role of the cysteinyl leukotriene 2 receptor in increased vascular permeability and in bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis in mice.

Author(s):  
Richard L Stevens
2004 ◽  
Vol 279 (44) ◽  
pp. 46129-46134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas C. Beller ◽  
Akiko Maekawa ◽  
Daniel S. Friend ◽  
K. Frank Austen ◽  
Yoshihide Kanaoka

The cysteinyl leukotrienes (cys-LTs) mediate both acute and chronic inflammatory responses in mice, as demonstrated by the attenuation of the IgE/antigen-mediated increase in microvascular permeability and of bleomycin-induced pulmonary fibrosis, respectively, in a strain with targeted disruption of leukotriene C4synthase to prevent cys-LT synthesis. Our earlier finding that the acute, but not the chronic, injury was attenuated in a strain with targeted disruption of the cysteinyl leukotriene 1 (CysLT1) receptor suggested that the chronic injury might be mediated through the CysLT2receptor. Thus, we generated CysLT2receptor-deficient mice by targeted gene disruption. These mice developed normally and were fertile. The increased vascular permeability associated with IgE-dependent passive cutaneous anaphylaxis was significantly reduced in CysLT2receptor-null mice as compared with wild-type mice, whereas plasma protein extravasation in response to zymosan A-induced peritoneal inflammation was not altered. Alveolar septal thickening after intratracheal injection of bleomycin, characterized by interstitial infiltration with macrophages and fibroblasts and the accumulation of collagen fibers, was significantly reduced in CysLT2receptor-null mice as compared with the wild-type mice. The amounts of cys-LTs in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid after bleomycin injection were similar in the CysLT2receptor-null mice and the wild-type mice. Thus, in response to a particular pathobiologic event the CysLT2receptor can mediate an increase in vascular permeability in some tissues or promote chronic pulmonary inflammation with fibrosis.


2004 ◽  
Vol 279 (16) ◽  
pp. 16488-16494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshiyuki Satake ◽  
Bruno L. Diaz ◽  
Barbara Balestrieri ◽  
Bing K. Lam ◽  
Yoshihide Kanaoka ◽  
...  

2001 ◽  
Vol 21 (9) ◽  
pp. 3159-3165 ◽  
Author(s):  
Donald N. Cook ◽  
Shu-Cheng Chen ◽  
Lee M. Sullivan ◽  
Denise J. Manfra ◽  
Maria T. Wiekowski ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Fractalkine (CX3CL1) is the first described chemokine that can exist either as a soluble protein or as a membrane-bound molecule. Both forms of fractalkine can mediate adhesion of cells expressing its receptor, CX3CR1. This activity, together with its expression on endothelial cells, suggests that fractalkine might mediate adhesion of leukocytes to the endothelium during inflammation. Fractalkine is also highly expressed in neurons, and its receptor, CX3CR1, is expressed on glial cells. To determine the biologic role of fractalkine, we used targeted gene disruption to generate fractalkine-deficient mice. These mice did not exhibit overt behavioral abnormalities, and histologic analysis of their brains did not reveal any gross changes compared to wild-type mice. In addition, these mice had normal hematologic profiles except for a decrease in the number of blood leukocytes expressing the cell surface marker F4/80. The cellular composition of their lymph nodes did not differ significantly from that of wild-type mice. Similarly, the responses offractalkine −/− mice to a variety of inflammatory stimuli were indistinguishable from those of wild-type mice.


1999 ◽  
Vol 189 (8) ◽  
pp. 1207-1216 ◽  
Author(s):  
T. Tristan Brandhorst ◽  
Marcel Wüthrich ◽  
Thomas Warner ◽  
Bruce Klein

Systemic fungal infections are becoming more common and difficult to treat, yet the pathogenesis of these infectious diseases remains poorly understood. In many cases, pathogenicity can be attributed to the ability of the fungi to adhere to target tissues, but the lack of tractable genetic systems has limited progress in understanding and interfering with the offending fungal products. In Blastomyces dermatitidis, the agent of blastomycosis, a respiratory and disseminated mycosis of people and animals worldwide, expression of the putative adhesin encoded by the WI-1 gene was investigated as a possible virulence factor. DNA-mediated gene transfer was used to disrupt the WI-1 locus by allelic replacement, resulting in impaired binding and entry of yeasts into macrophages, loss of adherence to lung tissue, and abolishment of virulence in mice; each of these properties was fully restored after reconstitution of WI-1 by means of gene transfer. These findings establish the pivotal role of WI-1 in adherence and virulence of B. dermatitidis yeasts. To our knowledge, they offer the first example of a genetically proven virulence determinant among systemic dimorphic fungi, and underscore the value of reverse genetics for studies of pathogenesis in these organisms.


2008 ◽  
Vol 105 (17) ◽  
pp. 6398-6402 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Ellekvist ◽  
J. Maciel ◽  
G. Mlambo ◽  
C. H. Ricke ◽  
H. Colding ◽  
...  

Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 107 (7) ◽  
pp. 2599-2601 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric O. Sekyere ◽  
Louise L. Dunn ◽  
Yohan Suryo Rahmanto ◽  
Des R. Richardson

AbstractMelanotransferrin (MTf) or tumor antigen p97 is a transferrin homolog that binds one iron (Fe) atom and has been suggested to play roles in a variety of processes, including Fe metabolism, eosinophil differentiation, and plasminogen activation. Considering the vital role of Fe in many metabolic pathways, such as DNA and heme synthesis, it is important to understand the function of MTf. To define this, a MTf knockout (MTf–/–) mouse was generated through targeted disruption of the MTf gene. The MTf–/– mice were viable and fertile and developed normally, with no morphologic or histologic abnormalities. Assessment of Fe indices, tissue Fe levels, hematology, and serum chemistry parameters demonstrated no differences between MTf–/– and wild-type (MTf+/+) mice, suggesting MTf was not essential for Fe metabolism.


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