Cis-acting sequences from a human surfactant protein gene confer pulmonary-specific gene expression in transgenic mice

Journal Article · Wed Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1990 · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.87.16.6122· OSTI ID:5841824

Korfhagen, T R; Glasser, S W; Wert, S E; Bruno, M D; Daugherty, C C; McNeish, J D; Stock, J L; Potter, S S; Whitsett, J A ^[1]

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1. Cincinnati College of Medicine, OH (USA)

Pulmonary surfactant is produced in late gestation by developing type II epithelial cells lining the alveolar epithelium of the lung. Lack of surfactant at birth is associated with respiratory distress syndrome in premature infants. Surfactant protein C (SP-C) is a highly hydrophobic peptide isolated from pulmonary tissue that enhances the biophysical activity of surfactant phospholipids. Like surfactant phospholipid, SP-C is produced by epithelial cells in the distal respiratory epithelium, and its expression increases during the latter part of gestation. A chimeric gene containing 3.6 kilobases of the promoter and 5{prime}-flanking sequences of the human SP-C gene was used to express diphtheria toxin A. The SP-C-diphtheria toxin A fusion gene was injected into fertilized mouse eggs to produce transgenic mice. Affected mice developed respiratory failure in the immediate postnatal period. Morphologic analysis of lungs from affected pups showed variable but severe cellular injury confined to pulmonary tissues. Ultrastructural changes consistent with cell death and injury were prominent in the distal respiratory epithelium. Proximal components of the tracheobronchial tree were not severely affected. Transgenic animals were of normal size at birth, and structural abnormalities were not detected in nonpulmonary tissues. Lung-specific diphtheria toxin A expression controlled by the human SP-C gene injured type II epithelial cells and caused extensive necrosis of the distal respiratory epithelium. The absence of type I epithelial cells in the most severely affected transgenic animals supports the concept that developing type II cells serve as precursors to type I epithelial cells.

• OSTI ID: 5841824
• Journal Information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (USA), Journal Name: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America; (USA) Vol. 87:16; ISSN 0027-8424; ISSN PNASA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550200* -- Biochemistry
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ANIMAL TISSUES
ANTIGENS
BACTERIA
BACTERIAL DISEASES
BODY
DIPHTHERIA
DISEASES
DNA SEQUENCING
EPITHELIUM
ESCHERICHIA COLI
ESTERS
GENE REPRESSORS
GENES
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
LIPIDS
LUNGS
MATERIALS
MICROORGANISMS
MORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES
NUCLEOPROTEINS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
ORGANS
PHOSPHOLIPIDS
PHYSIOLOGY
PROTEINS
RESPIRATORY SYSTEM
STRUCTURAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
SURFACTANTS
TISSUES
TOXIC MATERIALS
TOXINS
ULTRASTRUCTURAL CHANGES