A tissue-specific knockout reveals that Gata1 is not essential for Sertoli cell function in the mouse.
The transcription factor Gata1 is essential for the development of erythroid cells. Consequently, Gata1 null mutants die in utero due to severe anaemia. Outside the haematopoietic system, Gata1 is only expressed in the Sertoli cells of the testis. To elucidate the function of Gata1 in the testis, we made a Sertoli cell-specific knockout of the Gata1 gene in the mouse. We deleted a normally functioning 'floxed' Gata1 gene in pre-Sertoli cells in vivo through the expression of Cre from a transgene driven by the Desert Hedgehog promoter. Surprisingly, Gata1 null testes developed to be morphologically normal, spermatogenesis was not obviously affected and expression levels of putative Gata1 target genes, and other Gata factors, were not altered. We conclude that expression of Gata1 in Sertoli cells is not essential for testis development or spermatogenesis in the mouse.
Lindeboom
Fokke
F
Erasmus MC, Department of Cell Biology, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Gillemans
Nynke
N
Karis
Alar
A
Jaegle
Martine
M
Meijer
Dies
D
Grosveld
Frank
F
Philipsen
Sjaak
S
D000818:Animals; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D050981:Erythroid-Specific DNA-Binding Factors; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000235:genetics; D050982:GATA1 Transcription Factor; D015870:Gene Expression; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013737:Testis / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; D050981:Erythroid-Specific DNA-Binding Factors; D050982:GATA1 Transcription Factor; C494689:Gata1 protein, mouse; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014157:Transcription Factors; D014764:Viral Proteins; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases