Studies of intestinal morphology and cathepsin B expression in a transgenic mouse aiming at intestine-specific expression of Cath B-EGFP

Biol Chem. 2011 Nov;392(11):983-93. doi: 10.1515/BC.2011.096. Epub 2011 Aug 28.

Abstract

Cathepsin B has been shown to not only reside within endo-lysosomes of intestinal epithelial cells, but it was also secreted into the extracellular space of intestinal mucosa in physiological and pathological conditions. In an effort to further investigate the function of this protease in the intestine, we generated a transgenic mouse model that would enable us to visualize the localization of cathepsin B in vivo. Previously we showed that the A33-antigen promoter could be successfully used in vitro in order to express cathepsin B-green fluorescent protein chimeras in cells that co-expressed the intestine-specific transcription factor Cdx1. In this study an analog approach was used to express chimeric cathepsin B specifically in the intestine of transgenic animals. No overt phenotype was observed for the transgenic mice that reproduced normally. Biochemical and morphological studies confirmed that the overall intestinal phenotype including the structure and polarity of this tissue as well as cell numbers and differentiation states were not altered in the A33-CathB-EGFP mice when compared to wild type animals. However, transgenic expression of chimeric cathepsin B could not be visualized because it was not translated in situ although the transgene was maintained over several generations.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Cathepsin B / analysis
  • Cathepsin B / genetics*
  • Gene Expression
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Intestinal Mucosa / metabolism*
  • Intestines / ultrastructure
  • Membrane Glycoproteins / genetics
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Transgenes*

Substances

  • Gpa33 protein, mouse
  • Membrane Glycoproteins
  • enhanced green fluorescent protein
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Cathepsin B