title: Testican-1 is dispensable for mouse development.
abstract: Testicans are proteoglycans belonging to the BM-40/SPARC/osteonectin family of extracellular calcium-binding proteins. Testican-1 is strongly expressed in the brain and has been reported to modulate neuronal attachment and matrix metalloproteinase activation. Characterization of the mouse testican-1 gene (Ticn1), consisting of 12 exons out of which exon 3 is alternatively spliced, allowed the construction of a gene targeting construct. Mice deficient in testican-1 showed no obvious morphological or behavioral abnormalities, were fertile, and had normal life spans. Despite the fact that neither of the testican-1 homologues expressed in the brain, testican-2, testican-3 and SC1/hevin, showed an increased expression in Ticn1 null mice, these results, together with those from other gene targetings, indicate extensive functional redundancy among brain proteoglycans.
authors.affiliation: Center for Biochemistry, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 52, D-50931 Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Röll
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Seul
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Paulsson
authors.forename: Ursula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Hartmann
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015152:Blotting, Northern; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D005091:Exons; D005109:Extracellular Matrix / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D051379:Mice; D008957:Models, Genetic; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D015676:Osteonectin / Q000378:metabolism; D010641:Phenotype; D011509:Proteoglycans / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D015676:Osteonectin; D011509:Proteoglycans; C504370:Spock1 protein, mouse