The "Goldilocks effect" in cystic fibrosis: identification of a lung phenotype in the cftr knockout and heterozygous mouse.
BACKGROUND
Cystic Fibrosis is a pleiotropic disease in humans with primary morbidity and mortality associated with a lung disease phenotype. However, knockout in the mouse of cftr, the gene whose mutant alleles are responsible for cystic fibrosis, has previously failed to produce a readily, quantifiable lung phenotype.


RESULTS
Using measurements of pulmonary mechanics, a definitive lung phenotype was demonstrated in the cftr-/- mouse. Lungs showed decreased compliance and increased airway resistance in young animals as compared to cftr+/+ littermates. These changes were noted in animals less than 60 days old, prior to any long term inflammatory effects that might occur, and are consistent with structural differences in the cftr-/- lungs. Surprisingly, the cftr+/- animals exhibited a lung phenotype distinct from either the homozygous normal or knockout genotypes. The heterozygous mice showed increased lung compliance and decreased airway resistance when compared to either homozygous phenotype, suggesting a heterozygous advantage that might explain the high frequency of this mutation in certain populations.


CONCLUSIONS
In the mouse the gene dosage of cftr results in distinct differences in pulmonary mechanics of the adult. Distinct phenotypes were demonstrated in each genotype, cftr-/-, cftr +/-, and cftr+/+. These results are consistent with a developmental role for CFTR in the lung.
Departments of Medicine and Physiology, Louisiana State University, School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA, 70112 USA. ccohen@lsuhsc.edu
J Craig
JC
Cohen
Lennart K A
LK
Lundblad
Jason H T
JH
Bates
Michael
M
Levitzky
Janet E
JE
Larson
D000818:Animals; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology*; D019005:Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D018628:Gene Dosage; D008168:Lung / Q000254:growth & development / Q000503:physiopathology*; D051379:Mice; D018181:Mice, Inbred CFTR; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010641:Phenotype; D012129:Respiratory Function Tests
D019005:Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator