Cyclic hair-loss and regrowth in transgenic mice overexpressing an intermediate filament gene.
We have produced transgenic mice containing up to 250 copies of a sheep wool intermediate filament keratin gene to study the effect of its expression on hair structure and development. Several transgenic lines expressed the gene and in the one containing 250 transgenes, a pattern of hair-loss and regrowth was stably established. Successive waves of hair growth follow periods of denuding like the natural progression of hairs in the mouse hair cycle. By in situ hybridization we have shown that the sheep transgenes are expressed at the correct stage in mouse hair development and at a high level. The transgenic hairs contain not only an elevated level of intermediate filament keratin protein but also a decreased level of the filament-associated proteins. This imbalance disrupts the normal ordered array of these proteins in the cells of the hair cortex and leads to weakened fibres which are prematurely lost.
Adelaide University Centre for Gene Technology, Department of Biochemistry, University of Adelaide, South Australia.
B C
BC
Powell
G E
GE
Rogers
D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D000818:Animals; D006197:Hair / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000254:growth & development*; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D007633:Keratins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009154:Mutation; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D015347:RNA Probes; D015183:Restriction Mapping; D012756:Sheep; D014935:Wool / Q000254:growth & development
D000596:Amino Acids; D007381:Intermediate Filament Proteins; D015347:RNA Probes; D007633:Keratins