Mild processing defect of porcine DeltaF508-CFTR suggests that DeltaF508 pigs may not develop cystic fibrosis disease.
Recent efforts have made significant progress in generating transgenic pigs with the DeltaF508-CFTR mutation to model the lung and pancreatic disease of human cystic fibrosis. However, species differences in the processing and function of human, pig and mouse DeltaF508-CFTR reported recently raise concerns about the phenotypic consequence of the gene-targeted pig model. The purpose of the present study was to characterize the DeltaF508 mutant of porcine CFTR to evaluate the severity of its processing defect. Biochemical and immunofluorescence analysis in transfected COS7 and FRT cells indicated that pig DeltaF508-CFTR efficiently targets to the plasma membrane and is present mainly as the mature glycosylated protein. Functional characterization in stably transfected FRT cells by fluorometric and electrophysiological assays supported efficient plasma membrane targeting of pig DeltaF508-CFTR. The mild cellular processing defect of pig DeltaF508-CFTR suggests that its gene-targeted pig model may not develop the lung and pancreatic phenotypes seen in CF patients.
Membrane Channel Research Laboratory, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Changchun, Jilin 130024, PR China.
Yanli
Y
Liu
Ying
Y
Wang
Yong
Y
Jiang
Na
N
Zhu
Haitao
H
Liang
Lina
L
Xu
Xuechao
X
Feng
Hong
H
Yang
Tonghui
T
Ma
D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D019556:COS Cells; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D003550:Cystic Fibrosis / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D019005:Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018390:Gene Targeting; D009154:Mutation; D051381:Rats; D013045:Species Specificity; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000235:genetics*; D014162:Transfection
C093349:cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator delta F508; D019005:Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane Conductance Regulator