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Generation of H11-albumin-rtTA Transgenic Mice: A Tool for Inducible Gene Expression in the Liver. G3-GENES GENOMES GENETICS 2019; 9:591-599. [PMID: 30591434 PMCID: PMC6385985 DOI: 10.1534/g3.118.200963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The modification of the mouse genome by site-specific gene insertion of transgenes and other genetic elements allows the study of gene function in different developmental stages and in the pathogenesis of diseases. Here, we generated a “genomic safe harbor” Hipp11 (H11) locus-specific knock-in transgenic mouse line in which the albumin promoter is used to drive the expression of the reverse tetracycline transactivator (rtTA) in the liver. The newly generated H11-albumin-rtTA transgenic mice were bred with tetracycline-operator-Histone-2B-green fluorescent protein (TetO-H2BGFP) mice to assess inducibility and tissue-specificity. Expression of the H2BGFP fusion protein was observed exclusively upon doxycycline (Dox) induction in the liver of H11-albumin-rtTA/TetO-H2BGFP double transgenic mice. To further analyze the ability of the Dox-inducible H11-albumin-rtTA mice to implement conditional DNA recombination, H11-albumin-rtTA transgenic mice were crossed with TetO-Cre and Ai14 mice to generate H11-albumin-rtTA/TetO-Cre/Ai14 triple transgenic mice. We successfully confirmed that the Cre-mediated recombination efficiency was as strong in Dox-induced H11-albumin-rtTA /TetO-Cre/Ai14 mice as in the control albumin-Cre/A14 mice. Finally, to characterize the expression-inducing effects of Dox in H11-albumin-rtTA/TetO-H2BGFP mice in detail, we examined GFP expression in embryos at different developmental stages and found that newly conceived H11-albumin-rtTA/TetO-H2BGFP embryos of Dox-treated pregnant female mice were expressing reporter GFP by E16.5. Our study demonstrates that these new H11-albumin-rtTA transgenic mice are a powerful and efficient tool for the temporally and spatially conditional manipulation of gene expression in the liver, and illustrates how genetic crosses with these new mice enable the generation of complex multi-locus transgenic animals for mechanistic studies.
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Romoli S, Angelotti ML, Antonelli G, Kumar Vr S, Mulay SR, Desai J, Anguiano Gomez L, Thomasova D, Eulberg D, Klussmann S, Melica ME, Conte C, Lombardi D, Lasagni L, Anders HJ, Romagnani P. CXCL12 blockade preferentially regenerates lost podocytes in cortical nephrons by targeting an intrinsic podocyte-progenitor feedback mechanism. Kidney Int 2018; 94:1111-1126. [PMID: 30385042 PMCID: PMC6251974 DOI: 10.1016/j.kint.2018.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2018] [Revised: 08/01/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Insufficient podocyte regeneration after injury is a central pathomechanism of glomerulosclerosis and chronic kidney disease. Podocytes constitutively secrete the chemokine CXCL12, which is known to regulate homing and activation of stem cells; hence we hypothesized a similar effect of CXCL12 on podocyte progenitors. CXCL12 blockade increased podocyte numbers and attenuated proteinuria in mice with Adriamycin-induced nephropathy. Similar studies in lineage-tracing mice revealed enhanced de novo podocyte formation from parietal epithelial cells in the setting of CXCL12 blockade. Super-resolution microscopy documented full integration of these progenitor-derived podocytes into the glomerular filtration barrier, interdigitating with tertiary foot processes of neighboring podocytes. Quantitative 3D analysis revealed that conventional 2D analysis underestimated the numbers of progenitor-derived podocytes. The 3D analysis also demonstrated differences between juxtamedullary and cortical nephrons in both progenitor endowment and Adriamycin-induced podocyte loss, with more robust podocyte regeneration in cortical nephrons with CXCL12 blockade. Finally, we found that delayed CXCL12 inhibition still had protective effects. In vitro studies found that CXCL12 inhibition uncoupled Notch signaling in podocyte progenitors. These data suggest that CXCL12-driven podocyte-progenitor feedback maintains progenitor quiescence during homeostasis, but also limits their intrinsic capacity to regenerate lost podocytes, especially in cortical nephrons. CXCL12 inhibition could be an innovative therapeutic strategy in glomerular disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Romoli
- Renal Division, Department of Medicine IV, University Hospital, Munich, Germany
| | - Maria Lucia Angelotti
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the Development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Giulia Antonelli
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the Development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Santhosh Kumar Vr
- Renal Division, Department of Medicine IV, University Hospital, Munich, Germany
| | - Shrikant R Mulay
- Renal Division, Department of Medicine IV, University Hospital, Munich, Germany
| | - Jyaysi Desai
- Renal Division, Department of Medicine IV, University Hospital, Munich, Germany
| | | | - Dana Thomasova
- Renal Division, Department of Medicine IV, University Hospital, Munich, Germany
| | | | | | - Maria Elena Melica
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the Development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Carolina Conte
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the Development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Duccio Lombardi
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the Development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Laura Lasagni
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the Development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Hans-Joachim Anders
- Renal Division, Department of Medicine IV, University Hospital, Munich, Germany.
| | - Paola Romagnani
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the Development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
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Lazzeri E, Angelotti ML, Peired A, Conte C, Marschner JA, Maggi L, Mazzinghi B, Lombardi D, Melica ME, Nardi S, Ronconi E, Sisti A, Antonelli G, Becherucci F, De Chiara L, Guevara RR, Burger A, Schaefer B, Annunziato F, Anders HJ, Lasagni L, Romagnani P. Endocycle-related tubular cell hypertrophy and progenitor proliferation recover renal function after acute kidney injury. Nat Commun 2018; 9:1344. [PMID: 29632300 PMCID: PMC5890293 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03753-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 171] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 03/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is considered largely reversible based on the capacity of surviving tubular cells to dedifferentiate and replace lost cells via cell division. Here we show by tracking individual tubular cells in conditional Pax8/Confetti mice that kidney function is recovered after AKI despite substantial tubular cell loss. Cell cycle and ploidy analysis upon AKI in conditional Pax8/FUCCI2aR mice and human biopsies identify endocycle-mediated hypertrophy of tubular cells. By contrast, a small subset of Pax2+ tubular progenitors enriches via higher stress resistance and clonal expansion and regenerates necrotic tubule segments, a process that can be enhanced by suitable drugs. Thus, renal functional recovery upon AKI involves remnant tubular cell hypertrophy via endocycle and limited progenitor-driven regeneration that can be pharmacologically enhanced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Lazzeri
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), Florence, Italy
| | - Maria Lucia Angelotti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), Florence, Italy
| | - Anna Peired
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), Florence, Italy
| | - Carolina Conte
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), Florence, Italy
| | - Julian A Marschner
- Division of Nephrology, Medizinische Klinik and Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Laura Maggi
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), Florence, Italy
| | | | - Duccio Lombardi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), Florence, Italy
| | - Maria Elena Melica
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Sara Nardi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), Florence, Italy
| | - Elisa Ronconi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), Florence, Italy
| | - Alessandro Sisti
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Nephrology Unit and Meyer Children's University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Giulia Antonelli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), Florence, Italy
| | | | - Letizia De Chiara
- Nephrology Unit and Meyer Children's University Hospital, Florence, Italy
| | - Ricardo Romero Guevara
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), Florence, Italy
| | - Alexa Burger
- Institute of Molecular Life Sciences, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Beat Schaefer
- Department of Oncology and Children's Research Center, University Children's Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Francesco Annunziato
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), Florence, Italy
| | - Hans-Joachim Anders
- Division of Nephrology, Medizinische Klinik and Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der LMU München, Munich, Germany
| | - Laura Lasagni
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), Florence, Italy
| | - Paola Romagnani
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
- Excellence Centre for Research, Transfer and High Education for the development of DE NOVO Therapies (DENOTHE), Florence, Italy.
- Nephrology Unit and Meyer Children's University Hospital, Florence, Italy.
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Podocyte Regeneration Driven by Renal Progenitors Determines Glomerular Disease Remission and Can Be Pharmacologically Enhanced. Stem Cell Reports 2015; 5:248-63. [PMID: 26235895 PMCID: PMC4618832 DOI: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2015.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2015] [Revised: 07/06/2015] [Accepted: 07/06/2015] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Podocyte loss is a general mechanism of glomerular dysfunction that initiates and drives the progression of chronic kidney disease, which affects 10% of the world population. Here, we evaluate whether the regenerative response to podocyte injury influences chronic kidney disease outcome. In models of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis performed in inducible transgenic mice where podocytes are tagged, remission or progression of disease was determined by the amount of regenerated podocytes. When the same model was established in inducible transgenic mice where renal progenitors are tagged, the disease remitted if renal progenitors successfully differentiated into podocytes, while it persisted if differentiation was ineffective, resulting in glomerulosclerosis. Treatment with BIO, a GSK3s inhibitor, significantly increased disease remission by enhancing renal progenitor sensitivity to the differentiation effect of endogenous retinoic acid. These results establish renal progenitors as critical determinants of glomerular disease outcome and a pharmacological enhancement of their differentiation as a possible therapeutic strategy.
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Walters BJ, Zuo J. A Sox10(rtTA/+) Mouse Line Allows for Inducible Gene Expression in the Auditory and Balance Organs of the Inner Ear. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2015; 16:331-45. [PMID: 25895579 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-015-0517-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2014] [Accepted: 04/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic mouse models provide invaluable tools for discerning gene function in vivo. Tetracycline-inducible systems (Tet-On/Off) provide temporal and cell-type specific control of gene expression, offering an alternative or even complementary approach to existing Cre/LoxP systems. Here we characterized a Sox10(rtTA/+) knock-in mouse line which demonstrates inducible reverse tetracycline trans-activator (rtTA) activity and Tet-On transgene expression in the inner ear following induction with the tetracycline derivative doxycycline (Dox). These Sox10(rtTA/+) mice do not exhibit any readily observable developmental or hearing phenotypes, and actively drive Tet-On transgene expression in Sox10 expressing cells in the inner ear. Sox10(rtTA/+) activity was revealed by multiple Tet-On reporters to be nearly ubiquitous throughout the membranous labyrinth of the developing inner ear, and notably absent from hair cells, tympanic border cells, and ganglion neurons following postnatal Dox inductions. Interestingly, Dox-induced Sox10(rtTA/+) activity declined with induction age, where Tet-On reporters became uninducible in adult cochlear epithelium. Co-administration of the loop diuretic furosemide was able to rescue Dox-induced reporter expression, though this method also caused significant cochlear hair cell loss. Surprisingly, Sox10(rtTA/+) driven reporter expression in the cochlea persists for at least 54 days after cessation of neonatal induction, presumably due to the persistence of Dox within inner ear tissues. These findings highlight the utility of the Sox10(rtTA/+) mouse line as a powerful tool for functional genetic studies of the auditory and balance organs in vivo, but also reveal some important considerations that must be adequately controlled for in future studies that rely upon Tet-On/Off systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bradley J Walters
- Department of Developmental Neurobiology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 262 Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN, 38105, USA,
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Generation of Atoh1-rtTA transgenic mice: a tool for inducible gene expression in hair cells of the inner ear. Sci Rep 2014; 4:6885. [PMID: 25363458 PMCID: PMC4217099 DOI: 10.1038/srep06885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2014] [Accepted: 10/13/2014] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Atoh1 is a basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor that controls differentiation of hair cells (HCs) in the inner ear and its enhancer region has been used to create several HC-specific mouse lines. We generated a transgenic tetracycline-inducible mouse line (called Atoh1-rtTA) using the Atoh1 enhancer to drive expression of the reverse tetracycline transactivator (rtTA) protein and human placental alkaline phosphatase. Presence of the transgene was confirmed by alkaline phosphatase staining and rtTA activity was measured using two tetracycline operator (TetO) reporter alleles with doxycycline administered between postnatal days 0–3. This characterization of five founder lines demonstrated that Atoh1-rtTA is expressed in the majority of cochlear and utricular HCs. Although the tetracycline-inducible system is thought to produce transient changes in gene expression, reporter positive HCs were still observed at 6 weeks of age. To confirm that Atoh1-rtTA activity was specific to Atoh1-expressing cells, we also analyzed the cerebellum and found rtTA-driven reporter expression in cerebellar granule neuron precursor cells. The Atoh1-rtTA mouse line provides a powerful tool for the field and can be used in combination with other existing Cre recombinase mouse lines to manipulate expression of multiple genes at different times in the same animal.
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