title: Endothelial cell-specific knockout of connexin 43 causes hypotension and bradycardia in mice.
abstract: Connexin 43 (Cx43) is a protein expressed in a variety of mammalian tissues. However, the lack of specific blockers and the absence of known genetic mutants have hampered the investigation of the function of this protein. Cx43-null mice die shortly after birth, thus preventing functional studies in vivo. Here, we report the generation and characterization of a vascular endothelial cell-specific deletion of the Cx43 gene (VEC Cx43 KO) in mice by using the loxP/Cre system. Using homologous recombination, a mouse line was created carrying loxP sites flanking exon 2 of the Cx43 gene ("floxed" mice). To produce cell specific deletion of the Cx43 gene, these mice were crossed with animals from a line carrying the Tie 2-Cre transgene. The homozygous VEC Cx43 KO mice survived to maturity. However, they were hypotensive and bradycardic when compared with heterozygous VEC Cx43 KO mice, or to the floxed Cx43 gene mice. The hypotension was associated with marked elevation of plasma nitric oxide (NO) levels as well as elevated plasma angiotensin (Ang) I and II. We hypothesize that endothelial cell Cx43 plays a key role in the formation and/or action of NO, and that the elevation of Ang II is a secondary event. The specific cellular basis for the hypotension remains to be established, but our findings support the idea that endothelial Cx43 gap junctions are involved in maintaining normal vascular function; moreover, these animals provide the opportunity to determine more clearly the role of endothelial Cx43 in vascular development and homeostasis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia, Charlottesville 22908-0736, USA.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Day
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Damon
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Duling
mesh_terms: D000803:Angiotensin I / Q000097:blood; D000804:Angiotensin II / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D001919:Bradycardia / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002450:Cell Communication; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005091:Exons / Q000235:genetics; D017629:Gap Junctions / Q000502:physiology*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005813:Genes, Synthetic; D006706:Homeostasis; D007022:Hypotension / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D019426:Integrases / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D023421:Models, Animal; D009569:Nitric Oxide / Q000096:biosynthesis; D009928:Organ Specificity; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases / Q000235:genetics*; D042787:Receptor, TIE-2; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D012045:Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; D019076:Transgenes; D014655:Vascular Resistance; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D018031:Connexin 43; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D000804:Angiotensin II; D009569:Nitric Oxide; D000803:Angiotensin I; D020794:Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases; D042787:Receptor, TIE-2; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases