Targeted mutation in the Fas gene causes hyperplasia in peripheral lymphoid organs and liver.
Fas, a type I membrane protein that transduces an apoptotic signal, is expressed in lymphocytes as well as in various tissues such as the liver, lung and heart. The mouse lymphoproliferation (lpr) mutation is a leaky mutation in Fas. By means of gene targeting, we generated a mouse strain which is completely deficient in Fas. In addition to the massive production of lymphocytes, the Fas-null mice showed substantial liver hyperplasia, which was accompanied by the enlargement of nuclei in hepatocytes. The Fas system seems to play a role in the apoptotic process to maintain homeostasis of the liver as well as the peripheral lymphoid organs.
Adachi
M
M
Osaka Bioscience Institute, Japan.
Suematsu
S
S
Kondo
T
T
Ogasawara
J
J
Tanaka
T
T
Yoshida
N
N
Nagata
S
S
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001483:Base Sequence; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D018390:Gene Targeting; D006965:Hyperplasia / Q000235:genetics*; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology*; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009154:Mutation; D013154:Spleen / Q000473:pathology; D013234:Stem Cells; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000235:genetics*
D019014:fas Receptor