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Bradshaw CM, Georgieva T, Tankersley TN, Taylor-Doyle T, Johnson L, Uhrlaub JL, Besselsen D, Nikolich JŽ. Cutting Edge: Characterization of Low Copy Number Human Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2-Transgenic Mice as an Improved Model of SARS-CoV-2 Infection. J Immunol 2024; 212:523-528. [PMID: 38197714 DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2300591] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
A popular mouse model of COVID-19, the K18-hACE2 mouse, expresses the SARS-coronavirus entry receptor, human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) driven by the keratin-18 promoter. SARS-CoV-2-infected K18-hACE2 mice exhibit neuropathology not representative of human infection. They contain eight transgene (Tg) copies, leading to excess hACE2 expression and rampant viral replication. We generated two new lines of K18-hACE2 mice encoding one and two copies of hACE2 (1-hACE2-Tg and 2-hACE2-Tg, respectively). Relative to the original strain (called 8-hACE2-Tg in this study), 2-hACE2-Tg mice exhibited lower mortality, with less viral replication in the lung and brain. Furthermore, 1-hACE2-Tg mice exhibited no mortality and had no detectable virus in the brain; yet, they exhibited clear viral replication in the lung. All three strains showed SARS-CoV-2-related weight loss commensurate with the mortality rates. 1-hACE2-Tg mice mounted detectable primary and memory T effector cell and Ab responses. We conclude that these strains provide improved models to study hACE2-mediated viral infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Bradshaw
- Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson, Tucson, AZ
- Arizona Center on Aging, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson, Tucson, AZ
| | - Teodora Georgieva
- Genetically Engineered Mouse Model (GEMM) Core, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
| | - Trevor N Tankersley
- Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson, Tucson, AZ
- Arizona Center on Aging, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson, Tucson, AZ
| | - Tama Taylor-Doyle
- Genetically Engineered Mouse Model (GEMM) Core, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
| | - Larry Johnson
- Genetically Engineered Mouse Model (GEMM) Core, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
| | - Jennifer L Uhrlaub
- Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson, Tucson, AZ
- Arizona Center on Aging, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson, Tucson, AZ
| | - David Besselsen
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
- Arizona Animal Care, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
| | - Janko Ž Nikolich
- Department of Immunobiology, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson, Tucson, AZ
- Arizona Center on Aging, University of Arizona College of Medicine - Tucson, Tucson, AZ
- BIO5 Institute, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
- Aegis Consortium for Pandemic-Free Future, University of Arizona Health Sciences, Tucson, AZ
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