title: Regulated control by granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor AU-rich element during mouse embryogenesis.
abstract: In vitro studies have indicated that the granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) gene expression is regulated at the posttranscriptional level by the AU-rich element (ARE) sequence present in its 3' untranslated region (UTR). This study investigated the importance of the ARE in the control of GM-CSF gene expression in vivo. For this purpose, transgenic mice bearing GM-CSF gene constructs containing or lacking the ARE (GM-CSF AU(+) or GM-CSF AU(-), respectively) were generated. Both transgenes were under the transcriptional control of the immediate early promoter of the cytomegalovirus (CMV) to ensure their early, widespread, and constitutive expression. The regulation imposed by the ARE was revealed by comparing transgene expression at day 14 of embryonic development (E14); only the ARE-deleted but not the ARE-containing construct was expressed. Although GM-CSF AU(+) embryos were phenotypically normal, overexpression of GM-CSF in E14 GM-CSF AU(-) embryos led to severe hematopoietic alterations such as abnormal proliferation of granulocytes and macrophages accompanied by an increased number of peroxidase-expressing cells, their putative progenitor cells. These abnormalities compromise development because no viable GM-CSF AU(-) transgenic pups could be obtained. Surprisingly, by E18, significant accumulation of transgene messenger RNA was also observed in GM-CSF AU(+) embryos leading to similar phenotypic abnormalities. Altogether, these observations reveal that GM-CSF ARE is a developmentally controlled regulatory element and highlight the consequences of GM-CSF overexpression on myeloid cell proliferation and differentiation.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Chimie Biologique, Institut de Biologie et de Médecine Moléculaires, Université Libre de Bruxelles, Gosselies, Belgium.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Houzet
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morello
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Defrance
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mercier
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Huez
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Kruys
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics; D005314:Embryonic and Fetal Development / Q000235:genetics*; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000235:genetics*; D005804:Genes, Lethal; D005813:Genes, Synthetic; D005865:Gestational Age; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006413:Hematopoietic System / Q000196:embryology*; D006801:Humans; D007739:L Cells; D007964:Leukocytosis / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics; D008264:Macrophages / Q000473:pathology; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008808:Mice, Inbred CBA; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor