Differential contributions of AF-1 and AF-2 activities to the developmental functions of RXRα

We have engineered a mouse mutation that specifically deletes most of the RXRα N-terminal A/B region, which includes the activation function AF-1 and several phosphorylation sites. The homozygous mutants (RXRαaf1o), as well as compound mutants that further lack RXRβ and RXRγ, are viable and display a subset of the abnormalities previously described in RXRα-null mutants. In contrast, RXRαaf1o/RAR−/−(α, β or γ) compound mutants die in utero and exhibit a large array of malformations that nearly recapitulate the full spectrum of the defects that characterize the fetal vitamin A-deficiency (VAD) syndrome. Altogether, these observations indicate that the RXRα AF-1 region A/B is functionally important, although less so than the ligand-dependent activation function AF-2, for efficiently transducing the retinoid signal through RAR/RXRα heterodimers during embryonic development. Moreover, it has a unique role in retinoic acid-dependent involution of the interdigital mesenchyme. During early placentogenesis, both the AF-1 and AF-2 activities of RXRα, β and γ appear to be dispensable, suggesting that RXRs act as silent heterodimeric partners in this process. However, AF-2 of RXRα, but not AF-1, is required for differentiation of labyrinthine trophoblast cells, a late step in the formation of the placental barrier.

Distinct functions of the two isoforms of dopamine D2 receptors

Signalling through dopamine D2 receptors governs physiological functions related to locomotion, hormone production and drug abuse. D2 receptors are also known targets of antipsychotic drugs that are used to treat neuropsychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia. By a mechanism of alternative splicing, the D2 receptor gene encodes two molecularly distinct isoforms, D2S and D2L, previously thought to have the same function. Here we show that these receptors have distinct functions in vivo; D2L acts mainly at postsynaptic sites and D2S serves presynaptic autoreceptor functions. The cataleptic effects of the widely used antipsychotic haloperidol are absent in D2L-deficient mice. This suggests that D2L is targeted by haloperidol, with implications for treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders. The absence of D2L reveals that D2S inhibits D1 receptor-mediated functions, uncovering a circuit of signalling interference between dopamine receptors.

A transgenic mouse model for inducible and reversible dysmyelination

Oligodendrocytes are glial cells devoted to the production of myelin sheaths. Myelination of the CNS occurs essentially after birth. To delineate both the times of oligodendrocyte proliferation and myelination, as well as to study the consequence of dysmyelination in vivo, a model of inducible dysmyelination was developed. To achieve oligodendrocyte ablation, transgenic animals were generated that express the herpes virus 1 thymidine kinase (HSV1-TK) gene under the control of the myelin basic protein (MBP) gene promoter. The expression of the MBP-TK transgene in oligodendrocytes is not toxic on its own; however, toxicity can be selectively induced by the systemic injection of animals with nucleoside analogs, such as FIAU [1-(2-deoxy-2-fluoro-beta-delta-arabinofuranosyl)-5-iodouracil]. This system allows us to control the precise duration of the toxic insult and the degree of ablation of oligodendrocytes in vivo. We show that chronic treatment of MBP-TK mice with FIAU during the first 3 postnatal weeks triggers almost a total depletion of oligodendrocytes in the CNS. These effects are accompanied by a behavioral phenotype characterized by tremors, seizures, retarded growth, and premature animal death. We identify the period of highest oligodendrocytes division in the first 9 postnatal days. Delaying the beginning of FIAU treatments results in different degrees of dysmyelination. Dysmyelination in MBP-TK mice is always accompanied by astrocytosis. Thus, this transgenic line provides a model to study the events occurring during dysmyelination of various intensities. It also represents an invaluable tool to investigate remyelination in vivo.

Mice deficient for delta- and mu-opioid receptors exhibit opposing alterations of emotional responses

The role of the opioid system in controlling pain, reward and addiction is well established, but its role in regulating other emotional responses is poorly documented in pharmacology. The mu-, delta- and kappa- opioid receptors (encoded by Oprm, Oprd1 and Oprk1, respectively) mediate the biological activity of opioids. We have generated Oprd1-deficient mice and compared the behavioural responses of mice lacking Oprd1, Oprm (ref. 6) and Oprk1 (ref. 7) in several models of anxiety and depression. Our data show no detectable phenotype in Oprk1-/- mutants, suggesting that kappa-receptors do not have a role in this aspect of opioid function; opposing phenotypes in Oprm-/- and Oprd1-/- mutants which contrasts with the classical notion of similar activities of mu- and delta-receptors; and consistent anxiogenic- and depressive-like responses in Oprd1-/- mice, indicating that delta-receptor activity contributes to improvement of mood states. We conclude that the Oprd1-encoded receptor, which has been proposed to be a promising target for the clinical management of pain, should also be considered in the treatment of drug addiction and other mood-related disorders.

Inactivation of the Friedreich ataxia mouse gene leads to early embryonic lethality without iron accumulation

Friedreich ataxia (FRDA), the most common autosomal recessive ataxia, is caused in almost all cases by homozygous intronic expansions resulting in the loss of frataxin, a mitochondrial protein conserved through evolution, and involved in mitochondrial iron homeostasis. Yeast knockout models, and histological and biochemical data from patient heart biopsies or autopsies indicate that the frataxin defect causes a specific iron-sulfur protein deficiency and mitochondrial iron accumulation leading to the pathological changes. Affected human tissues are rarely available to further examine this hypothesis. To study the mechanism of the disease, we generated a mouse model by deletion of exon 4 leading to inactivation of the Frda gene product. We show that homozygous deletions cause embryonic lethality a few days after implantation, demonstrating an important role for frataxin during early development. These results suggest that the milder phenotype in humans is due to residual frataxin expression associated with the expansion mutations. Surprisingly, in the frataxin knockout mouse, no iron accumulation was observed during embryonic resorption, suggesting that cell death could be due to a mechanism independent of iron accumulation.

neurogenin3 is required for the development of the four endocrine cell lineages of the pancreas

In the mammalian pancreas, the endocrine cell types of the islets of Langerhans, including the alpha-, beta-, delta-, and pancreatic polypeptide cells as well as the exocrine cells, derive from foregut endodermal progenitors. Recent genetic studies have identified a network of transcription factors, including Pdx1, Isl1, Pax4, Pax6, NeuroD, Nkx2.2, and Hlxb9, regulating the development of islet cells at different stages, but the molecular mechanisms controlling the specification of pancreatic endocrine precursors remain unknown. neurogenin3 (ngn3) is a member of a family of basic helix-loop-helix transcription factors that is involved in the determination of neural precursor cells in the neuroectoderm. ngn3 is expressed in discrete regions of the nervous system and in scattered cells in the embryonic pancreas. We show herein that ngn3-positive cells coexpress neither insulin nor glucagon, suggesting that ngn3 marks early precursors of pancreatic endocrine cells. Mice lacking ngn3 function fail to generate any pancreatic endocrine cells and die postnatally from diabetes. Expression of Isl1, Pax4, Pax6, and NeuroD is lost, and endocrine precursors are lacking in the mutant pancreatic epithelium. Thus, ngn3 is required for the specification of a common precursor for the four pancreatic endocrine cell types.

Defective platelet aggregation and increased resistance to thrombosis in purinergic P2Y(1) receptor-null mice

ADP is a key agonist in hemostasis and thrombosis. ADP-induced platelet activation involves the purinergic P2Y(1) receptor, which is responsible for shape change through intracellular calcium mobilization. This process also depends on an unidentified P2 receptor (P2cyc) that leads to adenylyl cyclase inhibition and promotes the completion and amplification of the platelet response. P2Y(1)-null mice were generated to define the role of the P2Y(1) receptor and to determine whether the unidentified P2cyc receptor is distinct from P2Y(1). These mice are viable with no apparent abnormalities affecting their development, survival, reproduction, or the morphology of their platelets, and the platelet count in these animals is identical to that of wild-type mice. However, platelets from P2Y(1)-deficient mice are unable to aggregate in response to usual concentrations of ADP and display impaired aggregation to other agonists, while high concentrations of ADP induce platelet aggregation without shape change. In addition, ADP-induced inhibition of adenylyl cyclase still occurs, demonstrating the existence of an ADP receptor distinct from P2Y(1). P2Y(1)-null mice have no spontaneous bleeding tendency but are resistant to thromboembolism induced by intravenous injection of ADP or collagen and adrenaline. Hence, the P2Y(1) receptor plays an essential role in thrombotic states and represents a potential target for antithrombotic drugs.

Impairing follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) signaling in vivo: targeted disruption of the FSH receptor leads to aberrant gametogenesis and hormonal imbalance

Pituitary gonadotropins follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone stimulate the gonads by regulating germ cell proliferation and differentiation. FSH receptors (FSH-Rs) are localized to testicular Sertoli cells and ovarian granulosa cells and are coupled to activation of the adenylyl cyclase and other signaling pathways. Activation of FSH-Rs is considered essential for folliculogenesis in the female and spermatogenesis in the male. We have generated mice lacking FSH-R by homologous recombination. FSH-R-deficient males are fertile but display small testes and partial spermatogenic failure. Thus, although FSH signaling is not essential for initiating spermatogenesis, it appears to be required for adequate viability and motility of the sperms. FSH-R-deficient females display thin uteri and small ovaries and are sterile because of a block in folliculogenesis before antral follicle formation. Although the expression of marker genes is only moderately altered in FSH-R -/- mice, drastic sex-specific changes are observed in the levels of various hormones. The anterior lobe of the pituitary gland in females is enlarged and reveals a larger number of FSH- and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)-positive cells. The phenotype of FSH-R -/- mice is reminiscent of human hypergonadotropic ovarian dysgenesis and infertility.

In vivo evidence that the stromelysin-3 metalloproteinase contributes in a paracrine manner to epithelial cell malignancy

Stromelysin-3 (ST3; Basset, P., J.P. Bellocq, C. Wolf, I. Stoll, P. Hutin, J.M. Limacher, O.L. Podhajcer, M.P. Chenard, M.C. Rio, P. Chambon. 1990. Nature. 348:699-704) is a matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) expressed in mesenchymal cells located close to epithelial cells, during physiological and pathological tissue remodeling processes. In human carcinomas, high ST3 levels are associated with a poor clinical outcome, suggesting that ST3 plays a role during malignant processes. In this study we report the ST3 gene inactivation by homologous recombination. Although ST3 null mice (ST3-/-) were fertile and did not exhibit obvious alterations in appearance and behavior, the lack of ST3 altered malignant processes. Thus, the suppression of ST3 results in a decreased 7, 12-dimethylbenzanthracene-induced tumorigenesis in ST3-/- mice. Moreover, ST3-/- fibroblasts have lost the capacity to promote implantation of MCF7 human malignant epithelial cells in nude mice (P < 0.008). Finally, we show that this ST3 paracrine function requires extracellular matrix (ECM)-associated growth factors. Altogether, these findings give evidence that ST3 promotes, in a paracrine manner, homing of malignant epithelial cells, a key process for both primary tumors and metastases. Therefore, ST3 represents an appropriate target for specific MMP inhibitor(s) in future therapeutical approaches directed against the stromal compartment of human carcinomas.

The bHLH protein NEUROGENIN 2 is a determination factor for epibranchial placode-derived sensory neurons

neurogenin2 encodes a neural-specific basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor related to the Drosophila proneural factor atonal. We show here that the murine ngn2 gene is essential for development of the epibranchial placode-derived cranial sensory ganglia. An ngn2 null mutation blocks the delamination of neuronal precursors from the placodes, the first morphological sign of differentiation in these lineages. Mutant placodal cells fail to express downstream bHLH differentiation factors and the Notch ligand Delta-like 1. These data suggest that ngn2 functions like the Drosophila proneural genes in the determination of neuronal fate in distal cranial ganglia. Interestingly, the homeobox gene Phox2a is activated independently of ngn2 in epibranchial placodes, suggesting that neuronal fate and neuronal subtype identity may be specified independently in cranial sensory ganglia.

Requirement of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase in recovery from DNA damage in mice and in cells

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase [PARP; NAD+ ADP-ribosyltransferase; NAD+: poly(adenosine-diphosphate-D-ribosyl)-acceptor ADP-D-ribosyltransferase, EC 2.4.2.30] is a zinc-finger DNA-binding protein that detects specifically DNA strand breaks generated by genotoxic agents. To determine its biological function, we have inactivated both alleles by gene targeting in mice. Treatment of PARP-/- mice either by the alkylating agent N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (MNU) or by gamma-irradiation revealed an extreme sensitivity and a high genomic instability to both agents. Following whole body gamma-irradiation (8 Gy) mutant mice died rapidly from acute radiation toxicity to the small intestine. Mice-derived PARP-/- cells displayed a high sensitivity to MNU exposure: a G2/M arrest in mouse embryonic fibroblasts and a rapid apoptotic response and a p53 accumulation were observed in splenocytes. Altogether these results demonstrate that PARP is a survival factor playing an essential and positive role during DNA damage recovery.

Gastric mucosa abnormalities and tumorigenesis in mice lacking the pS2 trefoil protein

To determine the function of the pS2 trefoil protein, which is normally expressed in the gastric mucosa, the mouse pS2 (mpS2) gene was inactivated. The antral and pyloric gastric mucosa of mpS2-null mice was dysfunctional and exhibited severe hyperplasia and dysplasia. All homozygous mutant mice developed antropyloric adenoma, and 30 percent developed multifocal intraepithelial or intramucosal carcinomas. The small intestine was characterized by enlarged villi and an abnormal infiltrate of lymphoid cells. These results indicate that mpS2 is essential for normal differentiation of the antral and pyloric gastric mucosa and may function as a gastric-specific tumor suppressor gene.

Ligand-activated site-specific recombination in mice

Current mouse gene targeting technology is unable to introduce somatic mutations at a chosen time and/or in a given tissue. We report here that conditional site-specific recombination can be achieved in mice using a new version of the Cre/lox system. The Cre recombinase has been fused to a mutated ligand-binding domain of the human estrogen receptor (ER) resulting in a tamoxifen-dependent Cre recombinase, Cre-ERT, which is activated by tamoxifen, but not by estradiol. Transgenic mice were generated expressing Cre-ERT under the control of a cytomegalovirus promoter. We show that excision of a chromosomally integrated gene flanked by loxP sites can be induced by administration of tamoxifen to these transgenic mice, whereas no excision could be detected in untreated animals. This conditional site-specific recombination system should allow the analysis of knockout phenotypes that cannot be addressed by conventional gene targeting.

Hoxa-13 and Hoxd-13 play a crucial role in the patterning of the limb autopod

Members of the Abdominal-B-related Hox gene subfamily (belonging to homology groups 9 to 13) are coordinately expressed during limb bud development. Only two genes from homology group 13 (Hoxa-13 and Hoxd-13) are specifically expressed in the developing distal region (the autopod), which displays the most complex and evolutionarily flexible pattern among limb ‘segments’. We report here that targeted disruption of the Hoxa-13 gene leads to a specific forelimb and hindlimb autopodal phenotype, distinct from that of the Hoxd-13 paralogous gene inactivation. In both limbs, Hoxa-13 loss of function results in the lack of formation of the most anterior digit and to altered morphogenesis of some ‘preaxial’ carpal/tarsal elements. We have generated mice with all possible combinations of disrupted Hoxa-13 and/or Hoxd-13 alleles, which allowed us to investigate the degree of functional specificity versus redundancy of the corresponding gene products in the developing limb autopod. The phenotype of any double mutant was much more severe than the sum of the phenotypes seen in the corresponding single mutants, indicating that these genes act in a partially redundant manner. Our major findings were: (1) an abnormal autopodal phenotype in Hoxa-13+/−/Hoxd-13+/− double heterozygous mutants, which mostly consists of subsets of the alterations seen in each individual homozygous mutant, and therefore appears to result from quantitative, rather than qualitative, homeoprotein deficiency; (2) partly distinct alterations in mutants harboring a single non-disrupted allele of Hoxa-13 or Hoxd-13, indicating that the remaining reduced protein amounts are not functionally equivalent; (3) a polydactyly in the forelimbs of Hoxa-13+/−/Hoxd-13−/−double mutants, consisting of seven symmetrically arranged, truncated and mostly non-segmented digits; (4) an almost complete lack of chondrified condensations in the autopods of double homozygous mutants, showing that the activity of group 13 Hox gene products is essential for autopodal patterning in tetrapod limbs.

Spermiogenesis deficiency and germ-cell apoptosis in CREM-mutant mice

Spermiogenesis is a complex process by which postmeiotic male germ cells differentiate into mature spermatozoa. This process involves remarkable structural and biochemical changes including nuclear DNA compaction and acrosome formation. Transcription activator CREM (cyclic AMP-responsive element modulator) is highly expressed in postmeiotic cells, and CREM may be responsible for the activation of several haploid germ cell-specific genes involved in the structuring of the spermatozoon. The specific role of CREM in spermiogenesis was addressed using CREM-mutant mice generated by homologous recombination. Analysis of the seminiferous epithelium in mutant male mice reveals postmeiotic arrest at the first step of spermiogenesis. Late spermatids are completely absent, and there is a significant increase in apoptotic germ cells. We show that CREM deficiency results in the lack of postmeiotic cell-specific gene expression. The complete lack of spermatozoa in the mutant mice is reminiscent of cases of human infertility.

In vivo functional analysis of the mouse estrogen receptor gene promoter: a transgenic mouse model to study tissue-specific and developmental regulation of estrogen receptor gene transcription

Understanding the molecular and morphological basis of estrogen responsiveness in the various tissues and organs that make up an adult organism and its onset during ontogenesis requires identification of the genetic controls that determine timed expression of the estrogen receptor (ER) gene in multiple cell types. With this goal in mind, we describe here the results of the functional analysis of the mouse (m) ER gene promoter, carried out in vivo in transgenic mice. The mER gene promoter was cloned and spliced to the coding sequence of the bacterial lacZ gene (fused to the nuclear localization signal of SV40 large T: nls-beta-GAL) and then stably reintegrated into the genome of mice. Analysis of beta-GAL mRNA and protein expression in multiple organs of both female and male transgenic animals was then performed. Results show that the transgenic mER promoter, much like the endogenous one, is active in several organs and tissues of adult female and male mice. The first 0.4 kilobases of 5'-flanking DNA (up to -364) are sufficient to direct widespread expression of the transgene in mouse organs. This indicates that genetic elements functional in various cell types are included in this segment. Furthermore, the first exon and intron of the mER gene are necessary to achieve sexually dimorphic expression of the transgene in neurons located at specific sites within the central nervous system. These mER promoter transgenic mice will be useful in mapping estrogen- responsive cell types under different physiological and pathological conditions in vivo, in defining ontogenesis of estrogen action in the mouse, and in studying the mechanisms that regulate ER gene transcription.

Developmental roles of the retinoic acid receptors

Retinoic acid, one of the principle active metabolites of vitamin A (retinol), is believed to be essential for numerous developmental and physiological processes. Vitamin A deprivation (VAD) during development leads to numerous congenital defects. Previous studies of retinoic acid receptor (RAR) deficient mice failed to reveal any of these VAD-induced defects. This finding suggested that either the RARs are functionally redundant or that they are not critically required during development. In order to address these possibilities, we derived a number of RAR compound mutants. Unlike RAR single mutants, these compound null mutants died either in utero or shortly following birth. Histological analysis revealed essentially all of the defects characteristic of fetal VAD. A number of additional malformations, not described in previous VAD studies, were also observed. These included defects of the ocular and salivary glands and their ducts, the skeletal elements of the fore- and hindlimbs, and the cervical region of the axial skeleton. In addition, with the exception of derivatives forming within the first pharyngeal arch, most of the elements derived from mesectoderm emanating from cranial and hindbrain levels were affected. A number of these mutants also exhibited supernumerary cranial skeletal elements characteristics of the reptilian skull. A summary of the defects found in these RAR double mutants is presented.

Mice deficient in cellular retinoic acid binding protein II (CRABPII) or in both CRABPI and CRABPII are essentially normal

We have disrupted the CRABPII gene using homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells, and shown that this disruption results in a null mutation. CRABPII null mutant mice are essentially indistinguishable from wild-type mice as judged by their normal development, fertility, life span and general behaviour, with the exception of a minor limb malformation. Moreover, CRABPI−/−/CRABPII−/− double mutant mice also appear to be essentially normal, and both CRABPII−/− single mutant and CRABPI−/−/CRABPII−/− double mutant embryos are not more sensitive than wild-type embryos to retinoic acid excess treatment in utero. Thus, CRABPI and CRABPII are dispensable both during mouse development and adult life. Our present results demonstrate that CRABPs are not critically involved in the retinoic acid signaling pathway, and that none of the functions previously proposed for CRABPs are important enough to account for their evolutionary conservation.

Insertion of a targeting construct in a Hoxd-10 allele can influence the control of Hoxd-9 expression

A neomycin resistance (neo) gene driven by the phosphoglycerokinase (PGK) promoter was inserted into the Hoxd-10 homeobox by homologous recombination in embryonic stem (ES) cells. Chimeric mice derived from ES cell-injected blastocysts died shortly after birth. Craniofacial and axial abnormalities were found in the skeleton of these chimeras, resembling some of the previously described Hox gene gain-of-function phenotypes. The spatial expression patterns of various Hoxd gene transcripts were analysed in chimeric mutant embryos by in situ hybridization. Two main observations were made: (1) a wide ectopic expression domain of the Hoxd-9 gene was found in the spinal cord of these embryos, and (2) the neo gene exhibited a specific Hox-like expression domain which extended far more rostrally than that of the Hoxd-10 gene, showing that, in the context of this mutation, the PGK promoter could be regulated as a Hox promoter. These results provide the first evidence that a targeted insertion into a Hox gene coding sequence, in the context of its own cluster, could result in misexpression of a neighbour gene of the complex.

Function of the retinoic acid receptors (RARs) during development (II). Multiple abnormalities at various stages of organogenesis in RAR double mutants

Compound null mutations of retinoic acid receptor (RAR) genes lead to lethality in utero or shortly after birth and to numerous developmental abnormalities. In the accompanying paper (Lohnes, D., Mark., M., Mendelsohn, C., Dolle, P., Dierich, A., Gorry, Ph., Gansmuller, A. and Chambon, P. (1994). Development 120, 2723–2748), we describe malformations of the head, vertebrae and limbs which, with the notable exception of the eye defects, were not observed in the offspring of vitamin A-deficient (VAD) dams. We report here abnormalities in the neck, trunk and abdominal regions of RAR double mutant mice, which include: (i) the entire respiratory tract, (ii) the heart, its outlow tract and the great vessels located near the heart, (iii) the thymus, thyroid and parathyroid glands, (iv) the diaphragm, (v) the genito-urinary system, and (vi) the lower digestive tract. A majority of these abnormalities recapitulate those observed in the fetal VAD syndrome described by Joseph Warkany's group more than fourty years ago [Wilson, J. G., Roth, C. B. and Warkany, J. (1953) Am. J. Anat., 92, 189–217; and refs therein]. Our results clearly demonstrate that RARs are essential for vertebrate ontogenesis and therefore that retinoic acid is the active retinoid, which is required at several stages of the development of numerous tissues and organs. We discuss several possibilities that may account for the apparent functional redundancy observed amongst retinoic acid receptors during embryogenesis.

Enhanced aggressive behavior in mice lacking 5-HT1B receptor

The neuromodulator serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) has been associated with mood disorders such as depression, anxiety, and impulsive violence. To define the contribution of 5-HT receptor subtypes to behavior, mutant mice lacking the 5-HT1B receptor were generated by homologous recombination. These mice did not exhibit any obvious developmental or behavioral defects. However, the hyperlocomotor effect of the 5-HT1A/1B agonist RU24969 was absent in mutant mice, indicating that this effect is mediated by 5-HT1B receptors. Moreover, when confronted with an intruder, mutant mice attacked the intruder faster and more intensely than did wild-type mice, suggesting the participation of 5-HT1B receptors in aggressive behavior.

Genetic analysis of RXR alpha developmental function: convergence of RXR and RAR signaling pathways in heart and eye morphogenesis

A null mutation was generated in the mouse RXR alpha gene by targeted disruption. Growth deficiency occurred in heterozygote mice. Null mutants died in utero and displayed myocardial and ocular malformations. These malformations belong to the fetal vitamin A deficiency syndrome, supporting the idea that RXR alpha is involved in retinoid signaling in vivo. A phenotypic synergy was observed when the RXR alpha mutation was introduced into RAR alpha or RAR gamma mutant backgrounds: RXR alpha null mutants and RXR alpha +/-/RAR gamma-/- double mutants displayed similar ocular defects, which became more severe in RXR alpha-/-/RAR gamma+/- and RXR alpha-/-/RAR gamma-/- mutants. Furthermore, RXR alpha/RAR double mutants exhibited several malformations not seen in single mutants. This functional convergence strongly suggests that RXR alpha/RAR heterodimers mediate retinoid signaling in vivo.

RAR beta isoforms: distinct transcriptional control by retinoic acid and specific spatial patterns of promoter activity during mouse embryonic development

That both deficiency and excess of vitamin A lead to a wide spectrum of congenital abnormalities has strongly implicated the active metabolite, retinoic acid (RA), in normal embryonic development. There are 3 families of RA receptors (RARs), RAR alpha, RAR beta and RAR gamma, each having at least two isoforms derived from primary transcripts initiated at two promoters P1 and P2 (reviewed in Leid et al., 1992) Transcripts encoding all 4 isoforms of RAR beta (RAR beta 1 to RAR beta 4) accumulate in embryonal carcinoma (EC) cells in the presence of RA. It has been previously shown that the RA modulation of RAR beta 2/beta 4 transcripts is achieved at the level of transcriptional initiation via a RA response element (RARE) present in the P2 RAR beta 2/beta 4 promoter. In contrast, the mechanism by which RA up-regulates RAR beta 1/beta 3 transcripts has not yet been elucidated. We describe here the isolation of the P1 RAR beta 1/beta 3 promoter and characterization of its activity in transgenic animals. We find that RAR beta 1/beta 3 promoter activity, which is apparently confined to the embryonic CNS, is not modified by RA treatment, unlike that of the RAR beta 2/beta 4 promoter (Mendelsohn et al., 1991). Nuclear run-on transcription analysis in EC cells supports the conclusion that RAR beta 1/beta 3 transcript initiation is not modulated by RA, and that the RA-induced accumulation of RAR beta 1/beta 3 transcripts occur via a RA-dependent release of a block in RNA chain elongation.

Disruption of the Hoxd-13 gene induces localized heterochrony leading to mice with neotenic limbs

Vertebrate Hoxd genes are sequentially activated during the morphogenesis and pattern formation of the limb. Using the approach of gene disruption via homologous recombination in embryonic stem cells, we have assessed the function of the last gene of the complex, Hoxd-13. Mutant mice displayed skeletal alterations along all body axes suggesting the existence of a general multiaxial patterning system. In limbs, abnormalities such as a reduction in the length of some bony elements, loss of phalanges, bone fusions, and the presence of an extra element were observed. We propose that the mutation induces local heterochrony, as illustrated by an important retardation in limb morphogenesis. The relevance of these observations to our understanding of the development and evolution of the tetrapod limb is discussed.

Roles of Hox genes: what we have learnt from gain of function and loss of function mutations in the mouse

Transgenic mice expressing ectopically a gene from one of the Hox complexes, and mice carrying a null mutation in a Hox gene, provide useful tools for studying the roles of this gene family during development. Here, we discuss the phenotypes of two kinds of Hox mutant mice which show that vertebrate Hox genes are functional homologues of Drosophila genes of the HOM-C complex.

High postnatal lethality and testis degeneration in retinoic acid receptor alpha mutant mice

Retinoic acid (RA) plays a critical role in normal development, growth, and maintenance of certain tissues. The action of RA is thought to be mediated in part by the three nuclear receptors (RAR alpha, -beta, and -gamma), each of which is expressed as multiple isoforms. To investigate the function of the RAR alpha gene, we have disrupted, in the mouse, the whole gene or the isoform RAR alpha 1. Although RAR alpha 1 is the predominant isoform and is highly conserved among vertebrates, RAR alpha 1-null mice appeared normal. However, targeted disruption of the whole RAR alpha gene resulted in early postnatal lethality and testis degeneration. These results, showing that RAR alpha is indeed involved in the transduction of the RA signal, also suggest an unexpected genetic redundancy.

Lymphoproliferative disorders in an IL-7 transgenic mouse line

A high incidence of severe lymphoproliferative disease was observed in a newly generated strain of mice carrying murine IL-7 as a transgene under the control of the E alpha (MHC class II) promoter. An analysis of the cells from lesions in these mice shows the selective expansion of cells at an early stage of B cell development and, more interestingly, expansion of cells phenotypically identical to the recently reported bipotent (B/macrophage) stem cell populations described in midgestation embryonic liver. Such cells can be propagated (and remain dependent upon) bone marrow feeder cell lines obtained from IL-7 transgenic mice. A molecular analysis of fresh and cultured cells reveals that the lesions are oligoclonal, or in rare cases monoclonal, and include clones of cells with unrearranged Ig heavy chain loci. These data suggest that IL-7 acts at multiple stages of B cell development. Furthermore cell lines derived from IL-7 transgenic mice may provide a novel source of rare factor-dependent bipotent stem cells.

Function of retinoic acid receptor gamma in the mouse

Null mutant mice for retinoic acid receptor gamma 2 (RAR gamma 2) or all RAR gamma isoforms were generated. RAR gamma 2 mutants appeared normal, whereas RAR gamma mutants exhibited growth deficiency, early lethality, and male sterility due to squamous metaplasia of the seminal vesicles and prostate. These defects were previously observed in vitamin A-deficient animals and could be prevented by RA administration, demonstrating that RAR gamma mediates some of the retinoid signal in vivo. Congenital defects included Harderian gland agenesis, tracheal cartilage malformations, and homeotic transformations along the rostral axial skeleton, establishing a direct link between RA and patterning of the axial skeleton. We also show that in utero RA-induced lumbosacral truncations are mediated by RAR gamma. The observed RAR gamma null phenotype suggests a high degree of functional redundancy among the RARs. The variable penetrance of some of the observed defects is discussed in light of this redundancy and stochastic variation of gene activity.

The breast cancer-associated stromelysin-3 gene is expressed during mouse mammary gland apoptosis

We have cloned from a mouse placenta cDNA library a mouse homologue of the human stromelysin-3 (ST3) cDNA, which codes for a putative matrix metalloproteinase expressed in breast carcinomas. The ST3 protein is well conserved between humans and mice, and the pattern of ST3 gene expression is similar in both species, and shows expression in the placenta, in the uterus, and during limb bud morphogenesis. We show that the ST3 gene can also be expressed in the normal mouse mammary gland. ST3 gene expression was not detected during mammary growth, neither in virgin nor in pregnant mice, but was specifically observed during postlactating involution of the gland, an apoptotic process associated with intense extracellular matrix remodeling. ST3 transcripts were found in fibroblasts immediately surrounding degenerative ducts, suggesting that ST3 gene expression may be associated with the basement membrane dissolution, which occurs during mammary gland involution. Since the ST3 gene is also specifically expressed in fibroblastic cells surrounding invasive neoplastic cells of breast carcinomas, we suggest that ST3 is implicated in extracellular matrix remodeling processes common to mammary apoptosis and breast cancer progression.

Homeotic transformation of the occipital bones of the skull by ectopic expression of a homeobox gene

Murine Hox genes have been postulated to play a role in patterning of the embryonic body plan. Gene disruption studies have suggested that for a given Hox complex, patterning of cell identity along the antero-posterior axis is directed by the more 'posterior' (having a more posterior rostral boundary of expression) Hox proteins expressed in a given cell. This supports the 'posterior prevalence' model, which also predicts that ectopic expression of a given Hox gene would result in altered structure only in regions anterior to its normal domain of expression. To test this model further, we have expressed the Hox-4.2 gene more rostrally than its normal mesoderm anterior boundary of expression, which is at the level of the first cervical somites. This ectopic expression results in a homeotic transformation of the occipital bones towards a more posterior phenotype into structures that resemble cervical vertebrae, whereas it has no effect in regions that normally express Hox-4.2. These results are similar to the homeotic posteriorization phenomenon generated in Drosophila by ectopic expression of genes of the homeotic complex HOM-C (refs 7-10; reviewed in ref. 3).

Retinoid receptors and binding proteins

Retinoids, in particular all-trans retinoic acid (T-RA), are essential for normal development and homeostasis of vertebrates. Although many effects of retinoids, particularly with regard to teratogenicity, have been described in the literature, the mechanisms by which these simple signalling molecules work has only recently begun to be elucidated. We now recognize at least two classes of retinoid-binding proteins and two families of retinoid receptors. The ultimate interpretation of the retinoid signal within a given cell is probably the result of a complex series of interactions between these proteins, yet little is understood concerning the role each member of this signalling pathway plays. It is therefore imperative to dissect the molecular mechanisms which transduce the effects of these ligands, both in vivo and in isolated systems. One approach we are employing is gene targeting of retinoic acid receptors (RARs) and cellular retinoid-binding proteins to generate mice in which one or more of these genes has been functionally inactivated.

Developmental analysis of the retinoic acid-inducible RAR-beta 2 promoter in transgenic animals

Retinoic acid (RA) is a signalling molecule important for pattern formation during development. There are three known types of nuclear receptors for RA in mammals, RAR-alpha, RAR-beta and RAR-gamma, which transduce the RA signal by inducing or repressing the transcription of target genes. Here we describe the developmental expression pattern of the mouse RAR-beta 2 promoter. Independent lines of transgenic animals expressing RAR-beta 2 promoter sequences fused to the E. coli beta-galactosidase gene were examined throughout the course of embryogenesis and found to exhibit reproducible and specific patterns of beta-galactosidase expression in a majority of sites that have been shown previously to contain mRAR-beta transcripts. In the limbs, mRAR-beta 2 promoter activity and mRAR-beta transcripts were both excluded from precartilagenous condensations; interestingly, mRAR-beta 2 promoter activity was observed in the apical ectodermal ridge (AER) where mRAR-beta transcripts could not be detected, while no mRAR-beta 2 promoter activity or mRAR-beta transcripts were associated with the limb region that contains the zone of polarizing activity (ZPA). Analysis of the lacZ expression pattern in embryos from mothers treated with teratogenic doses of RA, indicated that mRAR-beta 2 promoter is selectively induced in a manner suggesting that overexpression of the mRAR-beta 2 isoform is involved in RA-generated malformations. The normal and induced expression pattern of the mRAR-beta 2 promoter suggests several possible roles for mRAR-beta 2 in development of the limbs, as an inhibitor of cartilage formation, in programmed cell death and in the formation of loose connective tissue.

Disruption of the Hox-1.6 homeobox gene results in defects in a region corresponding to its rostral domain of expression

The Hox-1.6 gene disrupted in embryonic stem cells by homologous recombination was introduced into the mouse germline. Heterozygous mice were normal, but homozygous mice died at birth from anoxia and had numerous defects that were centered at the level of rhombomeres 4 to 7 and included delayed hindbrain neural tube closure, absence of certain cranial nerves and ganglia, and malformed inner ears and bones of the skull. Thus, Hox-1.6 is involved in regional specification along the rostrocaudal axis, but only in its most rostral domain of expression. Hox-1.6 appears to specify neurogenic neural crest cells prior to specification of mesenchymal neural crest cells by Hox-1.5. Thus, within the same region of the presumptive hindbrain, two HOX-1 genes are involved in the patterning of two different populations of neural crest cells. The implication of these results for the function of the Hox network during mouse embryogenesis is discussed.

H-ras induced transformation of mammary epithelium is favoured by increased oncogene expression or by inhibition of mammary regression

The promoter of the mammary specific murine whey acidic protein gene was used to direct Ha-ras expression in different lines of transgenic mice. We found that this promoter contains a tissue specific enhancer which directed expression in both orientations albeit to different levels. We used this feature to generate low and high ras expressing transgenic lines. The reversed orientation led to a weak expression in lines 3 and 58 and to a tumor frequency of 2%. In contrast, 72% of mice from line 25 showing high ras expression developed mammary tumors. Nulliparity is one risk factor for human breast cancer, suggesting a protective effect of post-lactational mammary regression. In order to investigate the effect of post-lactational regression, the low tumor frequency lines were crossed with mice expressing ubiquitously the human growth hormone gene, which induces permanent development of the mammary epithelium. Indeed, mammary tumors were observed in 76% of double transgenic females. Thus, the tumorigenic potential of the ras oncogene in mammary cells in vivo correlates with the level of its expression and with the developmental history of the mammary gland. Transformation coincides with the escape of oncogene expression from the regulation of the Wap promoter and the extinction of endogenous Wap gene expression.

Precocious mammary gland development and milk protein synthesis in transgenic mice ubiquitously expressing human growth hormone

A chimeric gene comprising the hydroxymethylglutaryl coenzyme-A reductase promoter and the human GH (hGH) genomic sequences was used to create transgenic mice expressing hGH in all tissues. In transgenic females, morphological development of the mammary gland and milk protein (WAP) expression commences at 3 weeks of age. At 8 weeks of age the mammary gland is morphologically and functionally comparable to that normally reached after 14-15 days of gestation. Precocious development correlated with local expression of hGH in mammary gland. Organ culture in the presence of different lactogenic hormones revealed that insulin and hydrocortisone are sufficient to maintain transcription of the WAP gene in transgenic mammary gland. In contrast, WAP transcription in normal gland required either hGH or PRL in addition to insulin and hydrocortisone. However, the effect of hGH on mammary differentiation does not appear to be solely mediated through an interaction with PRL receptors, since PRL, when added to cultured mammary tissues, did not elicit an equivalent response.

The methylation-free status of a housekeeping transgene is lost at high copy number

Transgenic mouse lines were established bearing tandem arrays of a fusion construct comprising the promoter region of a housekeeping gene, HMGCR, encoding 3-hydroxy 3-methylglutaryl CoA reductase, linked to a bacterial cat reporter gene encoding chloramphenicol acetyltransferase (CAT). CAT activity was observed in all transgenic mouse tissues examined. The methylation state of the fusion transgene was determined. In non-transgenic mice the endogenous HMGCR promoter is devoid of methylation while flanking regions are extensively modified. In HMGCR-cat transgenic mice the fusion gene promoter was found to be similarly hypomethylated. However, the extent of hypomethylation varied with copy number: methylation-free status was progressively lost with increasing transgene copy number. Further transgenic mouse lines were constructed carrying a truncated HMGCR regulatory region linked to cat. Transgene expression and hypomethylation were observed in testis but not in any other tissue, and testis-specific methylation-free status was also lost at high copy number. Loss of hypomethylation at high copy number may indicate that saturable DNA-binding factors normally protect the HMGCR promoter from methylation.

Breast cancer protein PS2 synthesis in mammary gland of transgenic mice and secretion into milk

PS2, a small estrogen-inducible secretory polypeptide with structural analogies to a growth factor, is produced by approximately 50% of human breast tumors. The function of PS2 is, however, unknown. To determine whether PS2 may play an autocrine role in the development of mammary tumors we constructed transgenic mice bearing fusion constructs designed to direct the expression of human PS2 in the lactating mammary gland under the control of the whey acidic protein (WAP) promoter. Mouse lines bearing the genomic PS2 gene under the control of the WAP promoter region (WAP-PS2-2) failed to express the transgene. However, mice harboring the fusion construct WAP-PS2-1, in which the PS2 coding sequence is inserted into the 5' untranslated region of the complete WAP gene, were observed to express the transgene. Expression was restricted to the secretory epithelium of the mammary gland during lactation, and PS2 protein was secreted into the milk. Nevertheless, no mammary gland dysplasia was observed, and PS2 expression had no discernable effect upon the physiology and/or development of the suckling young or the transgenic mother.

Transgenic mice with I-A on islet cells are normoglycemic but immunologically intolerant

Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) is caused by a specific loss of the insulin-producing beta cells from pancreatic Langerhans islets. It has been proposed that aberrant expression of major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules on these cells could be a triggering factor for their autoimmune destruction. This proposal was tested in transgenic mice that express allogeneic or syngeneic class II molecules on the surface of islet cells at a level comparable with that normally found on resting B lymphocytes. These animals do not develop diabetes, nor is lymphocyte infiltration of the islets observed. This immunological inactivity does not result from tolerance to the "foreign" class II molecules.

Ha-ras and c-myc oncogene expression interferes with morphological and functional differentiation of mammary epithelial cells in single and double transgenic mice

We studied the effects of the tissue-specific and lactogenic hormone-dependent expression of the recombinant whey acidic protein (Wap)-ras and Wap-myc oncogenes on the differentiation of the mammary epithelium in transgenic mice. The histological appearance of mammary glands in pregnant, lactating, and postlactational animals and their ability to express milk protein genes were analyzed. Activated Ha-ras expression caused a decrease of milk protein synthesis during the lactation period. The formation of glandular epithelium and the postlactational regression of epithelial cells were not affected. c-myc expression impaired the development of the glandular epithelium, and milk protein synthesis was decreased strongly. Epithelial cell proliferation continued during lactation and postlactationally. Coexpression of both oncogenes in double transgenic mice synergistically affected differentiation and resulted in a high number of neoplastic foci. Palpable tumors were observed only after a latency of 3-4 months. Tumor cells utilize the Wap promoter hormone independently, express increased levels of Wap-ras and induce adjacent stromal cells to produce tenascin.

Targeted c-myc gene expression in mammary glands of transgenic mice induces mammary tumours with constitutive milk protein gene transcription

We investigated the consequences of augmented c-myc gene expression in the mammary gland of transgenic mice. For this purpose we directed the expression of a mouse c-myc transgene to the differentiating mammary epithelial cells by subjecting the protein coding region to the 5' regulatory sequences of the murine whey acidic protein gene (Wap). Analogous to the expression pattern of the endogenous Wap gene, the Wap-myc transgene is abundantly expressed in the mammary gland during lactation. The tissue-specific and hormone-dependent expression of the Wap-myc transgene results in an 80% incidence of mammary adenocarcinomas. As early as two months after the onset of Wap-myc expression, tumours occur in the mammary glands of the transgenic animals. The tumours express not only the Wap-myc transgene, but also the endogenous Wap and beta casein genes. The expression of the milk protein genes becomes independent of the lactogenic hormonal stimuli and persists even in transplanted nude mouse tumours.

Ha-ras oncogene expression directed by a milk protein gene promoter: tissue specificity, hormonal regulation, and tumor induction in transgenic mice

The activated human Ha-ras oncogene was subjected to the control of the promoter region of the murine whey acidic protein (Wap) gene, which is expressed in mammary epithelial cells in response to lactogenic hormones. The Wap-ras gene was stably introduced into the mouse germ line of five transgenic mice (one male and four females). Wap-ras expression was observed in the mammary glands of lactating females in two lines derived from female founders. The tissue-directed and hormone-dependent Wap expression was conferred on the Ha-ras oncogene. The signals governing Wap expression are located within 2.5 kilobases of 5' flanking sequence. The other two lines derived from female founders did not express the chimeric gene. In the line derived from the male founder, the Wap-ras gene is integrated into the Y chromosome. Expression was found in the salivary gland of male animals only. After a long latency, Wap-ras-expressing mice developed tumors. The tumors arose in tissues expressing Wap-ras--i.e., mammary or salivary glands. Compared to the corresponding nonmalignant tissues, Wap-ras expression was enhanced in the tumors.

B-lymphocyte targeting of gene expression in transgenic mice with the immunoglobulin heavy-chain enhancer

A hybrid gene containing rabbit beta-globin structural sequences (-9 to +1650), and a chicken conalbumin gene promoter (+62 to -102) in the place of the beta-globin promoter (upstream from -9), was inactive in 5 different transgenic mouse line. Adding the mouse immunoglobulin heavy-chain (IgH) enhancer to this construction specifically stimulated expression in B-cells. These results show that IgH enhancer is specifically active in B-cells. Expression of the hybrid gene was low compared to the endogenous immunoglobulin heavy and light-chain genes. Substituting the mouse immunoglobulin kappa light-chain gene (Ig kappa) promoter (+4 to -800) for the heterologous conalbumin promoter was not sufficient to restore gene expression to level of the endogenous genes. In addition to the reproducible B cell expression, we also found inheritable unexpected expression in certain tissues, which varied from line to line.

The ovalbumin gene family: hormonal control of X and Y gene transcription and mRNA accumulation

The ovalbumin gene family is composed of three genes, X, Y and ovalbumin, which are expressed in laying hen oviduct. We have analyzed the in vivo transcription products of X and Y genes and the effect of steroid hormones on their synthesis and accumulation. As in the case of ovalbumin, the complete gene transcripts and processing intermediates are present in the poly(A)+ RNA fraction. The mature RNAs are found in polysomes and are translated into proteins. The expression of X and Y genes is controlled by steroid hormones: X and Y RNAs are not detectable in oviducts from chicks withdrawn from estrogen stimulation, whereas in chicks stimulated with estrogen for 7 days, X RNA represents 0.3% and Y RNA 0.8% of ovalbumin mRNA. In laying hen, however, the levels of X and Y RNAs are about 2% of ovalbumin mRNA. After stimulation with other steroid hormones, alone or in combination, the level of X and Y RNA does not achieve that detected in laying hen. Progesterone has a much weaker effect on X RNA accumulation than on that of Y and ovalbumin mRNAs. Studies with isolated nuclei show that X and Y gene expression is regulated by hormones at the level of transcription. However, the differences observed between the transcription rates and the accumulation of X and Y mRNAs suggest that the expression of X and Y genes could also be controlled at the levels of RNA processing and/or mRNA stability.

The ovalbumin gene region: common features in the organisation of three genes expressed in chicken oviduct under hormonal control

Two large DNA fragments overlapping the chicken ovalbumin gene have been isolated by molecular cloning. Analysis of these fragments provided a map of a 46,000-base pair region of the chicken genome. This region contains the complete ovalbumin gene (including its mRNA leader-coding sequence) and at least two other genes of unknown function. All three genes are orientated in the same direction and their expression in chicken oviduct is under hormonal control. The three genes share some sequence homologies, suggesting that duplications have occurred in the ovalbumin gene region in the course of evolution.