title: c-Kit is essential for alveolar maintenance and protection from emphysema-like disease in mice.
abstract: Previously, we demonstrated a candidate region for susceptibility to airspace enlargement on mouse chromosome 5. However, the specific candidate genes within this region accounting for emphysema-like changes remain unrecognized. c-Kit is a receptor tyrosine kinase within this candidate gene region that has previously been recognized to contribute to the survival, proliferation, and differentiation of hematopoietic stem cells. Increases in the percentage of cells expressing c-Kit have previously been associated with protection against injury-induced emphysema.
  
  
  
  Determine whether genetic variants of c-Kit are associated with spontaneous airspace enlargement.
  
  
  
  Perform single-nucleotide polymorphism association studies in the mouse strains at the extremes of airspace enlargement phenotype for variants in c-Kit tyrosine kinase. Characterize mice bearing functional variants of c-Kit compared with wild-type controls for the development of spontaneous airspace enlargement. Epithelial cell proliferation was measured in culture.
  
  
  
  Upstream regulatory single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the divergent mouse strains were associated with the lung compliance difference observed between the extreme strains. c-Kit mutant mice (Kit(W-sh)/(W-sh)), when compared with genetic controls, developed altered lung histology, increased total lung capacity, increased residual volume, and increased lung compliance that persist into adulthood. c-Kit inhibition with imatinib attenuated in vitro proliferation of cells expressing epithelial cell adhesion molecule.
  
  
  
  Our findings indicate that c-Kit sustains and/or maintains normal alveolar architecture in the lungs of mice. In vitro data suggest that c-Kit can regulate epithelial cell clonal expansion. The precise mechanisms that c-Kit contributes to the development of airspace enlargement and increased lung compliance remain unclear and warrants further investigation.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: James Y
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Lindsey
authors.forename: Koustav
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ganguly
authors.forename: David M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Brass
authors.forename: Zhuowei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Erin N
authors.initials: EN
authors.lastname: Potts
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Degan
authors.forename: Huaiyong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brockway
authors.forename: Soman N
authors.initials: SN
authors.lastname: Abraham
authors.forename: Annerose
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Berndt
authors.forename: Barry R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Stripp
authors.forename: W Michael
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: George D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Leikauf
authors.forename: Holger
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: John W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Hollingsworth
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004646:Emphysema / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D008168:Lung / Q000503:physiopathology; D008170:Lung Compliance / Q000502:physiology; D051379:Mice; D008815:Mice, Inbred Strains / Q000502:physiology; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D020641:Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D011650:Pulmonary Alveoli / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit