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Transgenic Liver (transgenic + liver)

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Medical Sciences100%

Selected Abstracts

Hepatomegaly in transgenic mice expressing the homeobox gene Cux-1

MOLECULAR CARCINOGENESIS, Issue 1 2005
Gregory B. Vanden Heuvel
Abstract Cux-1 is a member of a family of homeobox genes structurally related to Drosophila Cut. Mammalian Cut proteins function as transcriptional repressors of genes specifying terminal differentiation in multiple cell lineages. In addition, mammalian Cut proteins serve as cell-cycle-dependent transcriptional factors in proliferating cells, where they function to repress expression of the cyclin kinase inhibitors p21 and p27. Previously we showed that transgenic mice expressing Cux-1 under control of the CMV immediate early gene promoter develop multiorgan hyperplasia. Here we show that mice constitutively expressing Cux-1 exhibit hepatomegaly correlating with an increase in cell proliferation. In addition, the increase in Cux-1 expression in transgenic livers was associated with a decrease in p21, but not p27, expression. Within transgenic livers, Cux-1 was ectopically expressed in a population of small cells, but not in mature hepatocytes, and many of these small cells expressed markers of proliferation. Transgenic livers showed an increase in ,-smooth muscle actin, indicating activation of hepatic stellate cells, and an increase in cells expressing chromogranin-A, a marker for hepatocyte precursor cells. Morphological analysis of transgenic livers revealed inflammation, hepatocyte swelling, mixed cell foci, and biliary cell hyperplasia. These results suggest that increased expression of Cux-1 may play a role in the activation of hepatic stem cells, possibly through the repression of the cyclin kinase inhibitor p21. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]

Earlier expression of the transcription factor HFH-11B diminishes induction of p21CIP1/WAF1 levels and accelerates mouse hepatocyte entry into S-phase following carbon tetrachloride liver injury

HEPATOLOGY, Issue 6 2001
Xinhe Wang
Partial hepatectomy (PH) or toxic liver injury induces the proliferation of terminally differentiated hepatic cells to regenerate the original size of the adult liver. Previous PH liver regeneration studies showed that premature transgenic expression of the Forkhead Box M1b (FoxM1b, HFH-11B) transcription factor accelerated hepatocyte entry into DNA replication (S-phase). In this study, we used carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) liver injury to induce a different type of mouse liver regeneration and show that premature hepatic HFH-11B levels also accelerate the onset of hepatocyte S-phase in this injury model. Unlike PH liver regeneration, earlier hepatocyte proliferation after CCl4 liver injury is correlated with diminished transgenic hepatic levels of p21CIP1/WAF1 at the G1/S transition of the cell cycle. Differential hybridization of cDNA arrays and RNase protection studies determined that CCl4 regenerating liver of transgenic mice displayed early stimulated expression of the S-phase promoting cyclin D1 and cyclin E and sustained levels of Cdc25a phosphatase genes. Compared with previous PH liver regeneration studies, our data suggest that premature expression of HFH-11B activates distinct S-phase promotion pathways in the CCl4 liver injury model. Although proliferating transgenic hepatocytes induced by either PH or CCl4 liver injury displayed early expression of identical M-phase cyclin genes (cyclin B1, B2, A2, and F), only CCl4 regenerating transgenic liver exhibited earlier expression of the M-phase promoting Cdc25b. These studies suggest that CCl4 injury of transgenic liver not only uses the same mechanisms as PH to mediate accelerated hepatocyte entry into mitosis, but also promotes M-phase entry by stimulating Cdc25b expression. [source]

Hepatomegaly in transgenic mice expressing the homeobox gene Cux-1

MOLECULAR CARCINOGENESIS, Issue 1 2005
Gregory B. Vanden Heuvel
Abstract Cux-1 is a member of a family of homeobox genes structurally related to Drosophila Cut. Mammalian Cut proteins function as transcriptional repressors of genes specifying terminal differentiation in multiple cell lineages. In addition, mammalian Cut proteins serve as cell-cycle-dependent transcriptional factors in proliferating cells, where they function to repress expression of the cyclin kinase inhibitors p21 and p27. Previously we showed that transgenic mice expressing Cux-1 under control of the CMV immediate early gene promoter develop multiorgan hyperplasia. Here we show that mice constitutively expressing Cux-1 exhibit hepatomegaly correlating with an increase in cell proliferation. In addition, the increase in Cux-1 expression in transgenic livers was associated with a decrease in p21, but not p27, expression. Within transgenic livers, Cux-1 was ectopically expressed in a population of small cells, but not in mature hepatocytes, and many of these small cells expressed markers of proliferation. Transgenic livers showed an increase in ,-smooth muscle actin, indicating activation of hepatic stellate cells, and an increase in cells expressing chromogranin-A, a marker for hepatocyte precursor cells. Morphological analysis of transgenic livers revealed inflammation, hepatocyte swelling, mixed cell foci, and biliary cell hyperplasia. These results suggest that increased expression of Cux-1 may play a role in the activation of hepatic stem cells, possibly through the repression of the cyclin kinase inhibitor p21. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]