T396I mutation of mouse Sufu reduces the stability and activity of Gli3 repressor.

Hedgehog signaling is primarily transduced by two transcription factors: Gli2, which mainly acts as a full-length activator, and Gli3, which tends to be proteolytically processed from a full-length form (Gli3FL) to an N-terminal repressor (Gli3REP). Recent studies using a Sufu knockout mouse have indicated that Sufu is involved in regulating Gli2 and Gli3 activator and repressor activity at multiple steps of the signaling cascade; however, the mechanism of specific Gli2 and Gli3 regulation remains to be elucidated. In this study, we established an allelic series of ENU-induced mouse strains. Analysis of one of the missense alleles, SufuT396I, showed that Thr396 residue of Sufu played a key role in regulation of Gli3 activity. SufuT396I/T396I embryos exhibited severe polydactyly, which is indicative of compromised Gli3 activity. Concomitantly, significant quantitative reductions of unprocessed Gli3 (Gli3FL) and processed Gli3 (Gli3REP) were observed in vivo as well as in vitro. Genetic experiments showed that patterning defects in the limb buds of SufuT396I/T396I were rescued by a constitutive Gli3REP allele (Gli3∆699), strongly suggesting that SufuT396I reduced the truncated Gli3 repressor. In contrast, SufuT396I qualitatively exhibited no mutational effects on Gli2 regulation. Taken together, the results of this study show that the Thr396 residue of Sufu is specifically required for regulation of Gli3 but not Gli2. This implies a novel Sufu-mediated mechanism in which Gli2 activator and Gli3 repressor are differentially regulated.

ß-CateninC429S mice exhibit sterility consequent to spatiotemporally sustained Wnt signalling in the internal genitalia.

Wnt/ß-catenin signalling regulates numerous developmental and homeostatic processes. Ctnnb1 (also known as ß-catenin) is the only protein that transmits signals from various Wnt ligands to downstream genes. In this study, we report that our newly established mouse strain, which harbours a Cys429 to Ser missense mutation in the ß-catenin gene, exhibited specific organ defects in contrast to mice with broadly functioning Wnt/ß-catenin signalling. Both homozygous mutant males and females produced normal gametes but were infertile because of abnormal seminal vesicle and vaginal morphogenesis. An ins-TOPGAL transgenic reporter spatiotemporally sustained Wnt/ß-catenin signalling during the corresponding organogenesis. Therefore, ß-catenin(C429S) should provide new insights into ß-catenin as a universal component of Wnt/ß-catenin signal transduction.

Differential roles of interleukin-17A and -17F in host defense against mucoepithelial bacterial infection and allergic responses.

Interleukin-17A (IL-17A) is a cytokine produced by T helper 17 (Th17) cells and plays important roles in the development of inflammatory diseases. Although IL-17F is highly homologous to IL-17A and binds the same receptor, the functional roles of this molecule remain largely unknown. Here, we demonstrated with Il17a(-/-), Il17f(-/-), and Il17a(-/-)Il17f(-/-) mice that IL-17F played only marginal roles, if at all, in the development of delayed-type and contact hypersensitivities, autoimmune encephalomyelitis, collagen-induced arthritis, and arthritis in Il1rn(-/-) mice. In contrast, both IL-17F and IL-17A were involved in host defense against mucoepithelial infection by Staphylococcus aureus and Citrobacter rodentium. IL-17A was produced mainly in T cells, whereas IL-17F was produced in T cells, innate immune cells, and epithelial cells. Although only IL-17A efficiently induced cytokines in macrophages, both cytokines activated epithelial innate immune responses. These observations indicate that IL-17A and IL-17F have overlapping yet distinct roles in host immune and defense mechanisms.

Kid-mediated chromosome compaction ensures proper nuclear envelope formation.

Toward the end of mitosis, neighboring chromosomes gather closely to form a compact cluster. This is important for reassembling the nuclear envelope around the entire chromosome mass but not individual chromosomes. By analyzing mice and cultured cells lacking the expression of chromokinesin Kid/kinesin-10, we show that Kid localizes to the boundaries of anaphase and telophase chromosomes and contributes to the shortening of the anaphase chromosome mass along the spindle axis. Loss of Kid-mediated anaphase chromosome compaction often causes the formation of multinucleated cells, specifically at oocyte meiosis II and the first couple of mitoses leading to embryonic death. In contrast, neither male meiosis nor somatic mitosis after the morula-stage is affected by Kid deficiency. These data suggest that Kid-mediated anaphase/telophase chromosome compaction prevents formation of multinucleated cells. This protection is especially important during the very early stages of development, when the embryonic cells are rich in ooplasm.

Dcir deficiency causes development of autoimmune diseases in mice due to excess expansion of dendritic cells.

The dendritic cell immunoreceptor (official gene symbol Clec4a2, called Dcir here) is a C-type lectin receptor expressed mainly in dendritic cells (DCs) that has a carbohydrate recognition domain in its extracellular portion and an immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motif, which transduces negative signals into cells, in its cytoplasmic portion. We found high Dcir expression in the joints of two mouse rheumatoid arthritis models. Because the structural characteristics of Dcir suggest that it may have an immune regulatory role, and because autoimmune-related genes are mapped to the DCIR locus in humans, we generated Dcir-/- mice to learn more about the pathological roles of this molecule. We found that aged Dcir-/- mice spontaneously develop sialadenitis and enthesitis associated with elevated serum autoantibodies. Dcir-/- mice showed a markedly exacerbated response to collagen-induced arthritis. The DC population was expanded excessively in aged and type II collagen-immunized Dcir-/- mice. Upon treatment with granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, Dcir-/- mouse-derived bone marrow cells (BMCs) differentiated into DCs more efficiently than did wild-type BMCs, owing to enhanced signal transducer and activator of transcription-5 phosphorylation. These observations indicate that Dcir is a negative regulator of DC expansion and has a crucial role in maintaining the homeostasis of the immune system.

Melanocortin 2 receptor is required for adrenal gland development, steroidogenesis, and neonatal gluconeogenesis.

ACTH (i.e., corticotropin) is the principal regulator of the hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis and stimulates steroidogenesis in the adrenal gland via the specific cell-surface melanocortin 2 receptor (MC2R). Here, we generated mice with an inactivation mutation of the MC2R gene to elucidate the roles of MC2R in adrenal development, steroidogenesis, and carbohydrate metabolism. These mice, the last of the knockout (KO) mice to be generated for melanocortin family receptors, provide the opportunity to compare the phenotype of proopiomelanocortin KO mice with that of MC1R-MC5R KO mice. We found that the MC2R KO mutation led to neonatal lethality in three-quarters of the mice, possibly as a result of hypoglycemia. Those surviving to adulthood exhibited macroscopically detectable adrenal glands with markedly atrophied zona fasciculata, whereas the zona glomerulosa and the medulla remained fairly intact. Mutations of MC2R have been reported to be responsible for 25% of familial glucocorticoid deficiency (FGD) cases. Adult MC2R KO mice resembled FGD patients in several aspects, such as undetectable levels of corticosterone despite high levels of ACTH, unresponsiveness to ACTH, and hypoglycemia after prolonged (36 h) fasting. However, MC2R KO mice differ from patients with MC2R-null mutations in several aspects, such as low aldosterone levels and unaltered body length. These results indicate that MC2R is required for postnatal adrenal development and adrenal steroidogenesis and that MC2R KO mice provide a useful animal model by which to study FGD.

Alteration of behavioural phenotype in mice by targeted disruption of the progranulin gene.

Sexual differentiation of the brain in rodents is achieved by estrogens, which are converted from androgens in the brain, during the perinatal period. We have identified the progranulin (PGRN) gene as one of the sex steroid-inducible genes that may be involved in masculinization of the rat brain. In the present study, we generated a line of mice with targeted disruption of the PGRN gene, and investigated male sexual behaviour, aggression and anxiety. PGRN-deficient mice exhibited a decrease in ejaculation incidence, while the latency and frequency of both mount and intromission were unchanged. For the aggressive behaviour test, the resident-intruder paradigm was used, and PGRN-deficient mice exhibited enhanced aggressiveness. In wild-type mice, males exhibited lower levels of anxiety than females by the open field test, while male PGRN-deficient mice exhibited an elevated level of anxiety and sex difference in anxiety was not observed. In addition, mRNA expression of the serotonergic receptor 5-HT1A, which could be related to the inhibition of aggression and anxiety, was significantly reduced in the hippocampus of PGRN-deficient mice after aggressive encounters. On the other hand, deficiency of the PGRN gene did not affect serum testosterone concentrations. These results suggest that PGRN gene plays a role in establishing sexual dimorphic behaviours at least partially by modulating the brain serotonergic system.

Dectin-1 is required for host defense against Pneumocystis carinii but not against Candida albicans.

Dectin-1 is a C-type lectin involved in the recognition of beta-glucans found in the cell walls of fungi. We generated dectin-1-deficient mice to determine the importance of dectin-1 in the defense against pathogenic fungi. In vitro, beta-glucan-induced cytokine production from wild-type dendritic cells and macrophages was abolished in cells homozygous for dectin-1 deficiency ('dectin-1-knockout' cells). In vivo, dectin-1-knockout mice were more susceptible than wild-type mice to pneumocystis infection, even though their cytokine production was normal. However, pneumocystis-infected dectin-1-knockout macrophages did show defective production of reactive oxygen species. In contrast to those results, wild-type and dectin-1-knockout mice were equally susceptible to candida infection. Thus, dectin-1 is required for immune responses to some fungal infections, as protective immunity to pneumocystis, but not to candida, required dectin-1 for the production of antifungal reactive oxygen species.

TNF-alpha is crucial for the development of autoimmune arthritis in IL-1 receptor antagonist-deficient mice.

IL-1 receptor antagonist-deficient (IL-1Ra(-/-)) mice spontaneously develop autoimmune arthritis. We demonstrate here that T cells are required for the induction of arthritis; T cell-deficient IL-1Ra(-/-) mice did not develop arthritis, and transfer of IL-1Ra(-/-) T cells induced arthritis in nu/nu mice. Development of arthritis was also markedly suppressed by TNF-alpha deficiency. We found that TNF-alpha induced OX40 expression on T cells and blocking the interaction between either CD40 and its ligand or OX40 and its ligand suppressed development of arthritis. These findings suggest that IL-1 receptor antagonist deficiency in T cells disrupts homeostasis of the immune system and that TNF-alpha plays an important role in activating T cells through induction of OX40.

Six1 controls patterning of the mouse otic vesicle.

Six1 is a member of the Six family homeobox genes, which function as components of the Pax-Six-Eya-Dach gene network to control organ development. Six1 is expressed in otic vesicles, nasal epithelia, branchial arches/pouches, nephrogenic cords, somites and a limited set of ganglia. In this study, we established Six1-deficient mice and found that development of the inner ear, nose, thymus, kidney and skeletal muscle was severely affected. Six1-deficient embryos were devoid of inner ear structures, including cochlea and vestibule, while their endolymphatic sac was enlarged. The inner ear anomaly began at around E10.5 and Six1 was expressed in the ventral region of the otic vesicle in the wild-type embryos at this stage. In the otic vesicle of Six1-deficient embryos, expressions of Otx1, Otx2, Lfng and Fgf3, which were expressed ventrally in the wild-type otic vesicles, were abolished, while the expression domains of Dlx5, Hmx3, Dach1 and Dach2, which were expressed dorsally in the wild-type otic vesicles, expanded ventrally. Our results indicate that Six1 functions as a key regulator of otic vesicle patterning at early embryogenesis and controls the expression domains of downstream otic genes responsible for respective inner ear structures. In addition, cell proliferation was reduced and apoptotic cell death was enhanced in the ventral region of the otic vesicle, suggesting the involvement of Six1 in cell proliferation and survival. In spite of the similarity of otic phenotypes of Six1- and Shh-deficient mice, expressions of Six1 and Shh were mutually independent.