Jeffrey D. Ceci

TNF-α Induction by LPS Is Regulated Posttranscriptionally via a Tpl2/ERK-Dependent Pathway

Abstract Tpl 2 knockout mice produce low levels of TNF-α when exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and they are resistant to LPS/D-Galactosamine-induced pathology. LPS stimulation of peritoneal macrophages from these mice did not activate MEK1, ERK1, and ERK2 but did activate JNK, p38 MAPK, and NF-κB. The block in ERK1 and ERK2 activation was causally linked to the defect in TNF-α induction by experiments showing that normal murine macrophages treated with the MEK inhibitor PD98059 exhibit a similar defect. Deletion of the AU-rich motif in the TNF-α mRNA minimized the effect of Tpl2 inactivation on the induction of TNF-α. Subcellular fractionation of LPS-stimulated macrophages revealed that LPS signals transduced by Tpl2 specifically promote the transport of TNF-α mRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm.

Knock‐out mouse for Canavan disease: a model for gene transfer to the central nervous system

Canavan disease (CD) is an autosomal recessive leukodystrophy characterized by deficiency of aspartoacylase (ASPA) and increased levels of N‐acetylaspartic acid (NAA) in brain and body fluids, severe mental retardation and early death. Gene therapy has been attempted in a number of children with CD. The lack of an animal model has been a limiting factor in developing vectors for the treatment of CD. This paper reports the successful creation of a knock‐out mouse for Canavan disease that can be used for gene transfer.

Chromosomal localization of seven members of the murine TGF-β superfamily suggests close linkage to several morphogenetic mutant loci

Chromosomal locations have been assigned to seven members of the TGF-beta superfamily using an interspecific mouse backcross. Probes for the Tgfb-1, -2, and -3, Bmp-2a and -3, and Vgr-1 genes recognized only single loci, whereas the Bmp-2b probe recognized two independently segregating loci (designated Bmp-2b1 and Bmp-2b2). The results show that the seven members of the TGF-beta superfamily map to eight different chromosomes, indicating that the TGF-beta family has become widely dispersed during evolution. Five of the eight loci (Tgfb-1, Bmp-2a, Bmp-2b1, Bmp-2b2, Vgr-1) mapped near mutant loci associated with connective tissue and skeletal disorders, raising the possibility that at least some of these mutations result from defects in TGF-beta-related genes.

Tumor induction by an Lck-MyrAkt transgene is delayed by mechanisms controlling the size of the thymus

Transgenic mice expressing MyrAkt from a proximal Lck promoter construct develop thymomas at an early age, whereas transgenic mice expressing constitutively active Lck-AktE40K develop primarily tumors of the peripheral lymphoid organs later in life. The thymus of 6- to 8-week-old MyrAkt transgenic mice is normal in size but contains fewer, larger cells than the thymus of nontransgenic control and AktE40K transgenic mice. Earlier studies had shown that cell size and cell cycle are coordinately regulated. On the basis of this finding, and our observations that the oncogenic potential of Akt correlates with its effect on cell size, we hypothesized that mechanisms aimed at maintaining the size of the thymus dissociate cell size and cell cycle regulation by blocking MyrAkt-promoted G1 progression and that failure of these mechanisms may promote cell proliferation resulting in an enlarged neoplastic thymus. To address this hypothesis, we examined the cell cycle distribution of freshly isolated and cultured thymocytes from transgenic and nontransgenic control mice. The results showed that although neither transgene alters cell cycle distribution in situ, the MyrAkt transgene promotes G1 progression in culture. Freshly isolated MyrAkt thymocytes express high levels of cyclins D2 and E and cdk4 but lower than normal levels of cyclin D3 and cdk2. Cultured thymocytes from MyrAkt transgenic mice, on the other hand, express high levels of cyclin D3, suggesting that the hypothesized organ size control mechanisms may down-regulate the expression of this molecule. Primary tumor cells, similar to MyrAkt thymocytes in culture, express high levels of cyclin D3. These findings support the hypothesis that tumor induction is caused by the failure of organ size control mechanisms to down-regulate cyclin D3 and to block MyrAkt-promoted G1 progression.

A molecular genetic linkage map of mouse chromosome 4 including the localization of several proto-oncogenes

We have constructed a 64-cM molecular genetic linkage map of mouse chromosome 4 using interspecific backcross animals derived from mating C57BL/6J and Mus spretus mice. Several proto-oncogenes and common sites of viral integration have been assigned regional locations on chromosome 4 including Mos, Lyn, Jun, Lmyc, Lck, Fgr, and Dsi-1. Additional loci mapped in this study to chromosome 4 were Tsha, Mup-1, Rrm2-ps1, Ifa, and Anf. A comparison of our mapping data with inbred strain mapping data did not show any evidence for inversions or deletions on chromosome 4. New regions of synteny were defined between mouse chromosome 4 and human chromosomes 1 and 8; a region of homology was found between mouse chromosome 4 and human chromosome 6. This linkage map will provide a framework for identifying homologous genes in mice and humans that may be involved in various disease processes.

Role of cyclooxygenase 2 in protein kinase C βII-mediated colon carcinogenesis

Elevated expression of protein kinase C βII (PKCβII) is an early promotive event in colon carcinogenesis (Gokmen-Polar, Y., Murray, N. R., Velasco, M. A., Gatalica, Z., and Fields, A. P. (2001) Cancer Res. 61, 1375–1381). Expression of PKCβII in the colon of transgenic mice leads to hyperproliferation and increased susceptibility to colon carcinogenesis due, at least in part, to repression of transforming growth factor beta type II receptor (TGF-βRII) expression (Murray, N. R., Davidson, L. A., Chapkin, R. S., Gustafson, W. C., Schattenberg, D. G., and Fields, A. P. (1999)J. Cell Biol., 145, 699–711). Here we report that PKCβII induces the expression of cyclooxygenase type 2 (Cox-2) in rat intestinal epithelial (RIE) cells in vitro and in transgenic PKCβII mice in vivo. Cox-2 mRNA increases more than 10-fold with corresponding increases in Cox-2 protein and PGE2 production in RIE/PKCβII cells. PKCβII activates the Cox-2 promoter by 2- to 3-fold and stabilizes Cox-2 mRNA by at least 4-fold. The selective Cox-2 inhibitor Celecoxib restores expression of TGF-βRII both in vitro and in vivo and restores TGFβ-mediated transcription in RIE/PKCβII cells. Likewise, the ω-3 fatty acid eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), which inhibits PKCβII activity and colon carcinogenesis, causes inhibition of Cox-2 protein expression, re-expression of TGF-βRII, and restoration of TGF-β1-mediated transcription in RIE/PKCβII cells. Our data demonstrate that PKCβII promotes colon cancer, at least in part, through induction of Cox-2, suppression of TGF-β signaling, and establishment of a TGF-β-resistant, hyperproliferative state in the colonic epithelium. Our data define a procarcinogenic PKCβII → Cox-2 → TGF-β signaling axis within the colonic epithelium, and provide a molecular mechanism by which dietary ω-3 fatty acids and nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents such as Celecoxib suppress colon carcinogenesis.

Intestinal Expression of Mutant and Wild-Type Progastrin Significantly Increases Colon Carcinogenesis in Response to Azoxymethane in Transgenic Mice

The authors recently reported that transgenic mice (hGAS) expressing pharmacologic levels of progastrin (PG) (> 10 nM to 100 nM) exhibited increased susceptibility to colon carcinogenesis in response to azoxymethane (AOM). It is not known whether PG functions as a cocarcinogen at the concentrations observed in patients with hypergastrinemia (∼1.0 nM).

A molecular genetic linkage map of mouse chromosome 13 anchored by the beige (bg) and satin (sa) loci

A molecular genetic linkage map of mouse chromosome 13 was constructed using cloned DNA markers and interspecific backcross mice from two independent crosses. The map locations of Ctla-3, Dhfr, Fim-1, 4/12, Hexb, Hilda, Inhba, Lamb-1.13, Ral, Rrm2-ps3, and Tcrg were determined with respect to the beige (bg) and satin (sa) loci. The map locations of these genes confirm and extend regions of homology between mouse chromosome 13 and human chromosomes 5 and 7, and identify a region of homology between mouse chromosome 13 and human chromosome 6. The molecular genetic linkage map of chromosome 13 provides a framework for establishing linkage relationships between cloned DNA markers and known mouse mutations and for identifying homologous genes in mice and humans that may be involved in disease processes.

Mouse chromosome 8

Genetic and physical mapping of the mouse genome is important for studying genome organization and evolution, identifying genes at or near existing mouse mutations, and establishing mouse models for human diseases. Several interesting mutations whose gene products have not yet been identified have been mapped to mouse Chromosome (Chr) 8 (Lyon and Searle 1989). Mutations such as nervous (nr), tottering (tg) and hydrocephalus-3 (hy-3) affect neurological development, and mutations such as oligosyndactylism (Os), amputated (am), quinky (Q), and neonatal anemia (Nan) affect early embryonic development (as well as other functions). As more molecular clones are mapped to Chr 8, it will be possible to identify candidate genes that are altered by the mutations. The purpose of this report is to provide a comprehensive summary of genetic and cytogenetic mapping data that will aid in the development of consensus maps, and to show the homologous relationships between mouse Chr 8 and human chromosomes.

A molecular genetic linkage map of mouse chromosome 18 reveals extensive linkage conservation with human chromosomes 5 and 18

An interspecific backcross between C57BL/6J and Mus spretus was used to generate a molecular genetic linkage map of mouse chromosome 18 that includes 23 molecular markers and spans approximately 86% of the estimated length of the chromosome. The Apc, Camk2a, D18Fcr1, D18Fcr2, D18Leh1, D18Leh2, Dcc, Emb-rs3, Fgfa, Fim-2/Csfmr, Gnal, Grl-1, Grp, Hk-1rs1, Ii, Kns, Lmnb, Mbp, Mcc, Mtv-38, Palb, Pdgfrb, and Tpl-2 genes were mapped relative to each other in one interspecific backcross. A second interspecific backcross and a centromere-specific DNA satellite probe were used to determine the distance of the most proximal chromosome 18 marker to the centromere. The interspecific map extends the known regions of linkage homology between mouse chromosome 18 and human chromosomes 5 and 18 and identifies a new homology segment with human chromosome 10p. It also provides molecular access to many regions of mouse chromosome 18 for the first time.