title: Bioluminescence imaging of vascular endothelial growth factor promoter activity in murine mammary tumorigenesis.
abstract: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is a major inducer of angiogenesis. We generated a transgenic reporter mouse, VEGF-GL, in which an enhanced green fluorescent protein-luciferase fusion protein is expressed under the control of a human VEGF-A promoter. The VEGF-GL mouse exhibited intense bioluminescence throughout the body at 1 week of age. The signals rapidly declined to a relatively low level as the mice grew. The adult VEGF-GL mouse showed restricted bioluminescence to the areas undergoing wound healing. In contrast, the VEGF-GL mice, which were crossed with mouse mammary tumor virus-polyoma virus middle T antigen transgenic mammary tumor mice, exhibited prominent bioluminescence in the tumors, correlating with VEGF transcription. Tumor bioluminescence was observed in the bigenic mice as early as 8 weeks, before tumors were palpable, and the signals increased with tumor growth. In conclusion, the VEGF-GL mouse permits longitudinal and quantitative assessment of VEGF promoter activity in vivo. The model should facilitate understanding of the molecular controls and pathways that regulate VEGF transcription in vivo.
authors: Department of Biomedical Engineering, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37235, USA.
authors: Shannon L
authors: SL
authors: Faley
authors: Keiko
authors: K
authors: Takahashi
authors: Cornelia E
authors: CE
authors: Crooke
authors: Joshua T
authors: JT
authors: Beckham
authors: Takuya
authors: T
authors: Tomemori
authors: Scott B
authors: SB
authors: Shappell
authors: E Duco
authors: ED
authors: Jansen
authors: Takamune
authors: T
authors: Takahashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D005260:Female; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D047468:Immunoprecipitation; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008163:Luminescent Measurements / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D015674:Mammary Neoplasms, Animal / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics*; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D008156:Luciferases