title: KIT is required for hepatic function during mouse post-natal development.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The Kit gene encodes a receptor tyrosine kinase involved in various biological processes including melanogenesis, hematopoiesis and gametogenesis in mice and human. A large number of Kit mutants has been described so far showing the pleiotropic phenotypes associated with partial loss-of-function of the gene. Hypomorphic mutations can induce a light coat color phenotype while complete lack of KIT function interferes with embryogenesis. Interestingly several intermediate hypomorphic mutations induced in addition growth retardation and post-natal mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this report we investigated the post-natal role of Kit by using a panel of chemically-induced hypomorphic mutations recently isolated in the mouse. We found that, in addition to the classical phenotypes, mutations of Kit induced juvenile steatosis, associated with the downregulation of the three genes, VldlR, Lpin1 and Lpl, controlling lipid metabolism in the post-natal liver. Hence, Kit loss-of-functions mimicked the inactivation of genes controlling the hepatic metabolism of triglycerides, the major source of energy from maternal milk, leading to growth and viability defects during neonatal development.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is a first report involving KIT in the control of lipid metabolism in neonates and opening new perspectives for understanding juvenile steatosis. Moreover, it reinforces the role of Kit during development of the liver and underscores the caution that should be exerted in using KIT inhibitors during anti-cancer treatment.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Transgénose, TAAM, UPS44, IEM UMR6218, CNRS, Université Orléans, Orléans, France. magnol@cnrs-orleans.fr <magnol@cnrs-orleans.fr>
authors.forename: Laetitia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Magnol
authors.forename: Marie-Clémence
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Chevallier
authors.forename: Valérie
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nalesso
authors.forename: Stéphanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Retif
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fuchs
authors.forename: Martina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Klempt
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Pereira
authors.forename: Michel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Riottot
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Andrzejewski
authors.forename: Bich-Thuy
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Doan
authors.forename: Jean-Jacques
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Panthier
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Puech
authors.forename: Jean-Claude
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Beloeil
authors.forename: Martin Hrabe
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: de Angelis
authors.forename: Yann
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hérault
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000740:Anemia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053686:Fetal Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D050356:Lipid Metabolism / Q000235:genetics*; D008099:Liver / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008809:Mice, Inbred C3H; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009154:Mutation; D010641:Phenotype; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction
chemical_list: D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit