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Suto JI. Recessive mutation on mouse chromosome 13 associated with abnormal hair texture and cardiomyopathy. Congenit Anom (Kyoto) 2023; 63:200-205. [PMID: 37702215 DOI: 10.1111/cga.12540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/28/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
An autosomal recessive mutation (aht) associated with abnormal hair texture and cardiomyopathy spontaneously arose in the Y-chromosome consomic mouse strain DH-Chr YSS . The aht/aht mouse phenotypes closely resembled those of rul/rul mice, which were caused by a mutation in desmoplakin (Dsp) on chromosome 13. Quantitative trait locus (QTL) mapping using (DDD/Sgn × DH-Chr YSS -aht heterozygotes) F2 mice demonstrated that aht is contiguous with Dsp on chromosome 13. However, no nucleotide changes were identified in the coding region of Dsp in aht/aht mice by whole-exome sequencing. Therefore, the molecular nature of the aht mutation remains unclear. Nevertheless, aht/aht mice may serve as a new model for human diseases that are accompanied by abnormalities in the integumental and cardiovascular systems, including Carvajal-Huerta syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun-Ichi Suto
- Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, National Agriculture and Food Research Organization (NARO), Tsukuba, Japan
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2
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Chua CJ, Morrissette-McAlmon J, Tung L, Boheler KR. Understanding Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy: Advances through the Use of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Models. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:1864. [PMID: 37895213 PMCID: PMC10606441 DOI: 10.3390/genes14101864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Cardiomyopathies (CMPs) represent a significant healthcare burden and are a major cause of heart failure leading to premature death. Several CMPs are now recognized to have a strong genetic basis, including arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), which predisposes patients to arrhythmic episodes. Variants in one of the five genes (PKP2, JUP, DSC2, DSG2, and DSP) encoding proteins of the desmosome are known to cause a subset of ACM, which we classify as desmosome-related ACM (dACM). Phenotypically, this disease may lead to sudden cardiac death in young athletes and, during late stages, is often accompanied by myocardial fibrofatty infiltrates. While the pathogenicity of the desmosome genes has been well established through animal studies and limited supplies of primary human cells, these systems have drawbacks that limit their utility and relevance to understanding human disease. Human induced pluripotent stem cells (hiPSCs) have emerged as a powerful tool for modeling ACM in vitro that can overcome these challenges, as they represent a reproducible and scalable source of cardiomyocytes (CMs) that recapitulate patient phenotypes. In this review, we provide an overview of dACM, summarize findings in other model systems linking desmosome proteins with this disease, and provide an up-to-date summary of the work that has been conducted in hiPSC-cardiomyocyte (hiPSC-CM) models of dACM. In the context of the hiPSC-CM model system, we highlight novel findings that have contributed to our understanding of disease and enumerate the limitations, prospects, and directions for research to consider towards future progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christianne J. Chua
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (C.J.C.); (J.M.-M.); (L.T.)
| | - Justin Morrissette-McAlmon
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (C.J.C.); (J.M.-M.); (L.T.)
| | - Leslie Tung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (C.J.C.); (J.M.-M.); (L.T.)
| | - Kenneth R. Boheler
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA; (C.J.C.); (J.M.-M.); (L.T.)
- Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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3
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Rostaher A, Bettenay S, Specht L, Silva KA, Bechtold L, Chen J, Majzoub M, Mueller RS, Sundberg JP. Hair follicle dystrophy in a litter of domestic cats resembling lanceolate hair mutant mice. Vet Dermatol 2021; 32:74-e14. [PMID: 33470013 DOI: 10.1111/vde.12925] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A new congenital hair-shaft abnormality resembling the lanceolate hair phenotype of rodents is described in a litter of four domestic short hair (DSH) cats. Data relating to hair shaft and follicle disorders remain scarce in veterinary medicine. OBJECTIVES To describe and compare structural abnormalities in these cats with other hair dystrophies in cats and other mammals. ANIMALS A DSH cat litter with progressive noninflammatory alopecia. METHODS AND MATERIALS Histopathological evaluation, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray based element analysis defined the hair and skin changes in cats born with alopecia. Findings were compared to archival data from normal cats and lanceolate hair (Dsg4lahJ ) and Keratin 75 (Krt75tm1Der ) mutant mice. RESULTS Light and scanning electron microscopy of the hairs revealed lance- or spear-head shaped defects of the hair tip. Histological findings were swollen hair shafts, initially above the hair bulb matrix and later found in the distal parts of the telogen hair follicles, similar to those observed in Dsg4lahJ Krt75tm1Der mutant mice. Transmission electron microscopy of the hair shaft and hair follicles showed a loss in the normal structure of the guard hairs in the alopecic cats. There was a statistically significant decrease in sulfur content just below the defects in the hair shafts (trichothiodystrophy). CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE A rare form of congenital alopecia resulting in follicular dystrophy is described in cats which is similar to hair follicle and hair-shaft changes reported in several mutant mouse strains with single gene mutations in adhesion molecules or keratin genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Rostaher
- Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich, Veterinärstrasse 13, München, 80539, Germany
- Dermatology Unit, Clinic for Small Animal Internal Medicine, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 260, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Sonya Bettenay
- Tierdermatologie Deisenhofen, Schäftlarner Weg 1A, Oberhaching, 82041, Germany
| | - Lisa Specht
- Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich, Veterinärstrasse 13, München, 80539, Germany
- Tierärztliche Klinik Nürnberg Hafen, Wertachstraße 1, Nürnberg, 90451, Germany
| | - Kathleen A Silva
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, USA
| | - Lesley Bechtold
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, USA
| | - Jiang Chen
- Department of Dermatology, Charles C. Gates Regenerative Medicine and Stem Cell Biology Program, University of Colorado at Denver and Health Sciences Center, 12800 East 19th Avenue, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA
| | - Monir Majzoub
- Institute for Veterinary Pathology, Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich, Veterinärstrasse 13, München, 80539, Germany
| | - Ralf S Mueller
- Centre for Clinical Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilian University Munich, Veterinärstrasse 13, München, 80539, Germany
| | - John P Sundberg
- The Jackson Laboratory, 600 Main Street, Bar Harbor, ME, 04609, USA
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Gerull B, Brodehl A. Genetic Animal Models for Arrhythmogenic Cardiomyopathy. Front Physiol 2020; 11:624. [PMID: 32670084 PMCID: PMC7327121 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2020.00624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy has been clinically defined since the 1980s and causes right or biventricular cardiomyopathy associated with ventricular arrhythmia. Although it is a rare cardiac disease, it is responsible for a significant proportion of sudden cardiac deaths, especially in athletes. The majority of patients with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy carry one or more genetic variants in desmosomal genes. In the 1990s, several knockout mouse models of genes encoding for desmosomal proteins involved in cell-cell adhesion revealed for the first time embryonic lethality due to cardiac defects. Influenced by these initial discoveries in mice, arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy received an increasing interest in human cardiovascular genetics, leading to the discovery of mutations initially in desmosomal genes and later on in more than 25 different genes. Of note, even in the clinic, routine genetic diagnostics are important for risk prediction of patients and their relatives with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. Based on improvements in genetic animal engineering, different transgenic, knock-in, or cardiac-specific knockout animal models for desmosomal and nondesmosomal proteins have been generated, leading to important discoveries in this field. Here, we present an overview about the existing animal models of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy with a focus on the underlying pathomechanism and its importance for understanding of this disease. Prospectively, novel mechanistic insights gained from the whole animal, organ, tissue, cellular, and molecular levels will lead to the development of efficient personalized therapies for treatment of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brenda Gerull
- Comprehensive Heart Failure Center Wuerzburg, Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.,Department of Cardiac Sciences, Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Andreas Brodehl
- Erich and Hanna Klessmann Institute for Cardiovascular Research and Development, Heart and Diabetes Center NRW, University Hospitals of the Ruhr-University of Bochum, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany
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Dai G, Pu Z, Cheng X, Yin J, Chen J, Xu T, Zhang H, Li Z, Chen X, Chen J, Qin Y, Yang S. Whole-Exome Sequencing Reveals Novel Genetic Variation for Dilated Cardiomyopathy in Pediatric Chinese Patients. Pediatr Cardiol 2019; 40:950-957. [PMID: 30993396 DOI: 10.1007/s00246-019-02096-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) is characterized by left or bilateral ventricular dilation and systolic dysfunction without rational conditions, which can lead to progressive heart failure and sudden cardiac death. Most of the pathogenic genes have been reported in adult population by locus mapping in familial cases and animal model studies. However, it still remains challenging to decipher the role of genetics in the etiology of pediatric DCM. We applied whole-exome sequencing (WES) for 30 sporadic pediatric DCM subjects and 100 non-DCM local controls. We identified the pathogenic mutations using bioinformatics tools based on genomic strategies synergistically and confirmed mutations by Sanger sequencing. We identified compound heterozygous nonsense mutations in DSP (c.3799C > T, p.R1267X; c.4444G > T, p.E1482X). In sporadic cases, the two heterozygous mutations in XIRP2 were identified. Then we performed an exome-wide association study with 30 case and 100 control subjects. Interestingly, we could not identify TTN truncating variants in all cases. Collectively, we observed a significant risk signal between carriers of TTN deleterious missense variants and DCM risk (odds ratio 4.0, 95% confidence interval 1.1-22.2, p = 3.12 × 10-2). Our observations expanded the spectrum of mutations and were valuable in the pre- and postnatal screening and genetic diagnosis for DCM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Genyin Dai
- Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 72 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Zhening Pu
- Center of Clinical Research, Wuxi People's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, 214023, China
| | - Xueying Cheng
- Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 72 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Jie Yin
- Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 72 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Jun Chen
- Department of Echocardiography, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Ting Xu
- Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 72 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Han Zhang
- Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 72 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Zewei Li
- Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 72 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Xuan Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 72 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Jinlong Chen
- Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 72 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Yuming Qin
- Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 72 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210008, China.
| | - Shiwei Yang
- Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 72 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing, 210008, China.
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Singh SM, Casey SA, Berg AA, Abdelhadi RH, Katsiyiannis WT, Bennett MK, Mackey-Bojack S, Duncanson ER, Sengupta JD. Autosomal-dominant biventricular arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy in a large family with a novel in-frame DSP nonsense mutation. Am J Med Genet A 2019; 176:1622-1626. [PMID: 30160835 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.38719] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Revised: 03/02/2018] [Accepted: 03/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
A novel autosomal-dominant in-frame deletion resulting in a nonsense mutation in the desmoplakin (DSP) gene was identified in association with biventricular arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy across three generations of a large Caucasian family. Mutations that disrupt the function and structure of desmosomal proteins, including desmoplakin, have been extensively linked to familial arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC). Analysis of data from 51 individuals demonstrated the previously undescribed variant p.Cys81Stop (c.243_251delCTTGATGCG) in DSP segregates with a pathogenic phenotype exhibiting variable penetrance and expressivity. The mutation's pathogenicity was first established due to two sudden cardiac deaths (SCDs), each with a biventricular cardiomyopathy identified on autopsy. Of the individuals who underwent genetic screening, 27 of 51 were heterozygous for the DSP mutation (29 total with two obligate carriers). Six of these were subsequently diagnosed with arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy. An additional nine family members have a conduction disorder and/or myocardial structural changes characteristic of an evolving condition. Previous reports from both human patients and mouse studies proposed DSP mutations with a premature stop codon impart mild to no clinical symptoms. Loss of expression from the abnormal allele via the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay pathway has been implicated to explain these findings. We identified an autosomal-dominant DSP nonsense mutation in a large family that led to SCD and phenotypic expression of arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy involving both ventricles. This evidence demonstrates the pathogenic significance of this type of desmosomal mutation and provides insight into potential clinical manifestations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajya M Singh
- Research, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Susan A Casey
- Research, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Allison A Berg
- Genomic Medicine, Children's Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Raed H Abdelhadi
- Research, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | | | - Mosi K Bennett
- Research, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, Minneapolis, Minnesota
| | - Shannon Mackey-Bojack
- Jesse E. Edwards Registry of Cardiovascular Disease, Nasseff Heart Center, United Hospital, St. Paul, Minnesota
| | - Emily R Duncanson
- Jesse E. Edwards Registry of Cardiovascular Disease, Nasseff Heart Center, United Hospital, St. Paul, Minnesota
| | - Jay D Sengupta
- Research, Minneapolis Heart Institute Foundation, Minneapolis, Minnesota
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7
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Ji ZH, Ren WZ, Gao W, Hao Y, Gao W, Chen J, Quan FS, Hu JP, Yuan B. Analyzing the innate immunity of NIH hairless mice and the impact of gut microbial polymorphisms on Listeria monocytogenes infection. Oncotarget 2017; 8:106222-106232. [PMID: 29290943 PMCID: PMC5739728 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.22051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous mutant hairless (HL) mice are often used to study hair growth and hair follicle development, and they often exhibit immune dysfunctions. Listeria monocytogenes, an important food-borne bacterium, has been used in animal models to study immune responses to infection. Herein, we analyzed the innate immunity of HL mice and the impact of gut microbial polymorphisms on L. monocytogenes infection. Compared to NIH mice, NIH HL mice were more susceptible to L. monocytogenes, as weight losses, mortality, bacterial load, and histopathological lesions were more severe; the decrease in monocytes may be an important underlying reason. The degree of spleen damage was reduced after co-housing, indicating that the host guides the gut microbiota to alleviate infection. High-throughput pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA demonstrated that gut microbiota composition differed between NIH HL and NIH mice. Infection with L. monocytogenes induced an increase in the number of bacteria belonging to the Rikenellaceae family and Gammaproteobacteria class, and decreased bacteria belonging to the Clostridiales class and Lachnospiraceae family. A substantial reduction in Clostridiales bacteria in infected HL mice may cause a serious infection. The Mycoplasma genus was present only in NIH HL mice and was, thus, considered a biomarker. The results of this study improve our understanding of the use of NIH HL mice as a good animal model of innate immune dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong-Hao Ji
- Department of Laboratory Animals, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Jilin, China
| | - Wen-Zhi Ren
- Department of Laboratory Animals, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Jilin, China
| | - Wei Gao
- Department of Laboratory Animals, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Jilin, China
| | - Yang Hao
- Department of Laboratory Animals, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Jilin, China
| | - Wei Gao
- Department of Laboratory Animals, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Jilin, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Department of Laboratory Animals, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Jilin, China
| | - Fu-Shi Quan
- Department of Laboratory Animals, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Jilin, China
| | - Jin-Ping Hu
- Department of Laboratory Animals, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Jilin, China
| | - Bao Yuan
- Department of Laboratory Animals, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, Jilin, China
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Ji ZH, Chen J, Gao W, Zhang JY, Quan FS, Hu JP, Yuan B, Ren WZ. Cutaneous transcriptome analysis in NIH hairless mice. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0182463. [PMID: 28787439 PMCID: PMC5546695 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2017] [Accepted: 07/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Mice with spontaneous coat mutations are ideal animal models for studying skin development and tumorigenesis. In this study, skin hair growth cycle abnormalities were examined in NIH hairless mice 42 days after birth (P42) by using hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. To examine the gene expression patterns in the skin of mutant mice, the dorsal skin of P42 female NIH mice and NIH hairless mice was sequenced by RNA-Seq, and 5,068 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified (false discovery rate [FDR] ≥ 2, P < 0.05). A pathway analysis showed that basal cell carcinoma, the cell cycle and the Hippo, Hedgehog and Wnt signaling pathways were up-regulated in NIH hairless mice. Previous studies have shown that these pathways are closely associated with cell proliferation, cell cycle, organ size and cancer development. In contrast, signal transduction, bacterial and parasitic infection, and receptor-mediated pathways, including calcium signaling, were down-regulated in NIH hairless mice. A gene interaction network analysis was performed to identify genes related to hair follicle development. To verify the reliability of the RNA-Seq results, we used q-PCR to analyze 12 key genes identified from the gene interaction network analysis, including eight down-regulated and four up-regulated genes, and the results confirmed the reliability of the RNA-Seq results. Finally, we constructed the differential gene expression profiles of mutant mice by RNA-Seq. NIH hairless mice exhibited abnormalities in hair development and immune-related pathways. Pik3r1 and Pik3r3 were identified as key genes, laying the foundation for additional in-depth studies of hairless mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong-Hao Ji
- Department of Laboratory Animals, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Jian Chen
- Department of Laboratory Animals, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Wei Gao
- Department of Laboratory Animals, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Jin-Yu Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Animals, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Fu-Shi Quan
- Department of Laboratory Animals, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Jin-Ping Hu
- Department of Laboratory Animals, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Bao Yuan
- Department of Laboratory Animals, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| | - Wen-Zhi Ren
- Department of Laboratory Animals, College of Animal Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun, Jilin, China
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Brodehl A, Belke DD, Garnett L, Martens K, Abdelfatah N, Rodriguez M, Diao C, Chen YX, Gordon PMK, Nygren A, Gerull B. Transgenic mice overexpressing desmocollin-2 (DSC2) develop cardiomyopathy associated with myocardial inflammation and fibrotic remodeling. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0174019. [PMID: 28339476 PMCID: PMC5365111 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0174019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2016] [Accepted: 03/02/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy is an inherited heart muscle disorder leading to ventricular arrhythmias and heart failure, mainly as a result of mutations in cardiac desmosomal genes. Desmosomes are cell-cell junctions mediating adhesion of cardiomyocytes; however, the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the disease remain widely unknown. Desmocollin-2 is a desmosomal cadherin serving as an anchor molecule required to reconstitute homeostatic intercellular adhesion with desmoglein-2. Cardiac specific lack of desmoglein-2 leads to severe cardiomyopathy, whereas overexpression does not. In contrast, the corresponding data for desmocollin-2 are incomplete, in particular from the view of protein overexpression. Therefore, we developed a mouse model overexpressing desmocollin-2 to determine its potential contribution to cardiomyopathy and intercellular adhesion pathology. Methods and results We generated transgenic mice overexpressing DSC2 in cardiac myocytes. Transgenic mice developed a severe cardiac dysfunction over 5 to 13 weeks as indicated by 2D-echocardiography measurements. Corresponding histology and immunohistochemistry demonstrated fibrosis, necrosis and calcification which were mainly localized in patches near the epi- and endocardium of both ventricles. Expressions of endogenous desmosomal proteins were markedly reduced in fibrotic areas but appear to be unchanged in non-fibrotic areas. Furthermore, gene expression data indicate an early up-regulation of inflammatory and fibrotic remodeling pathways between 2 to 3.5 weeks of age. Conclusion Cardiac specific overexpression of desmocollin-2 induces necrosis, acute inflammation and patchy cardiac fibrotic remodeling leading to fulminant biventricular cardiomyopathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Brodehl
- Department of Cardiac Sciences and Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Darrell D. Belke
- Department of Cardiac Sciences and Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Lauren Garnett
- Department of Cardiac Sciences and Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Kristina Martens
- Department of Cardiac Sciences and Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Nelly Abdelfatah
- Department of Cardiac Sciences and Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Marcela Rodriguez
- Department of Cardiac Sciences and Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Catherine Diao
- Department of Cardiac Sciences and Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Yong-Xiang Chen
- Department of Cardiac Sciences and Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Paul M. K. Gordon
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute Genomics and Bioinformatics Facility, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Anders Nygren
- Department of Cardiac Sciences and Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Schulich School of Engineering, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Brenda Gerull
- Department of Cardiac Sciences and Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Comprehensive Heart Failure Center and Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
- * E-mail:
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