title: Apoptosis-linked gene 2-deficient mice exhibit normal T-cell development and function.
abstract: The apoptosis-linked gene product, ALG-2, is a member of the family of intracellular Ca(2+)-binding proteins and a part of the apoptotic machinery controlled by T-cell receptor (TCR), Fas, and glucocorticoid signals. To explore the physiologic function of ALG-2 in T-cell development and function, we generated mice harboring a null mutation in the alg-2 gene. The alg-2 null mutant mice were viable and fertile and showed neither gross developmental abnormality nor immune dysfunction. Analyses of apoptotic responses of ALG-2-deficient T cells demonstrated that ALG-2 deficiency failed to block apoptosis induced by TCR, Fas, or dexamethasone signals. These findings indicate that ALG-2 is physiologically dispensable for apoptotic responses induced by the above signaling pathways and suggest that other functionally redundant proteins might exist in mammalian cells.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Immunology, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Rockville, Maryland 20852, USA.
authors.forename: Ihn Kyung
authors.initials: IK
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Renju
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lacaná
authors.forename: Luciano
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: D'Adamio
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000906:Antibodies / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D007107:Immune System / Q000254:growth & development; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology / Q000502:physiology*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; C490815:Pdcd6 protein, mouse; D011948:Receptors, Antigen, T-Cell; D019014:fas Receptor; D003907:Dexamethasone