title: Megakaryocyte development is normal in mice with targeted disruption of Tescalcin.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Tescalcin is an EF-hand calcium-binding protein that interacts with the Na+/H+ exchanger 1 (NHE1). Levay and Slepak recently proposed a role for tescalcin in megakaryopoiesis that was independent of NHE1 activity. Their studies using K562 and HEL cell lines, and human CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells suggested an essential role for tescalcin in megakaryocyte differentiation.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To study the role of tescalcin in megakaryocyte development using a murine model of megakaryopoiesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  We generated a mouse with targeted disruption of tescalcin and investigated megakaryocyte development.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Tescalcin-deficient mice had a normal number of megakaryocytes and platelets. The morphology, polyploidization profile, and expression of Fli-1 in bone marrow-derived megakaryocytes were also normal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Tescalcin does not appear to be necessary for normal megakaryocyte development.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, 1601 NW 12th Avenue, Miami, FL 33136, USA. sukarapong@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Supamit
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ukarapong
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.forename: Erasmo M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Perera
authors.forename: Gary D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Berkovitz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001792:Blood Platelets / Q000378:metabolism; D001853:Bone Marrow / Q000378:metabolism; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000172:deficiency / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D005260:Female; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D008297:Male; D008533:Megakaryocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D010976:Platelet Count; D040201:Platelet Membrane Glycoprotein IIb / Q000378:metabolism; D011123:Polyploidy; D034061:Thrombopoiesis
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D040201:Platelet Membrane Glycoprotein IIb; C420458:Tesc protein, mouse