title: Embryonic defects and growth alteration in mice with homozygous disruption of the Patz1 gene.
abstract: PATZ1 is an emerging cancer-related gene coding for a POZ/AT-hook/kruppel Zinc finger transcription factor, which is lost or misexpressed in human neoplasias. Here, we investigated its role in development exploring wild-type and Patz1-knockout mice during embryogenesis. We report that the Patz1 gene is ubiquitously expressed at early stages of development and becomes more restricted at later stages, with high levels of expression in actively proliferating neuroblasts belonging to the ventricular zones of the central nervous system (CNS). The analysis of embryos in which Patz1 was disrupted revealed the presence of severe defects in the CNS and in the cardiac outflow tract, which eventually lead to a pre-mature in utero death during late gestation or soon after birth. Moreover, the Patz1-null mice showed a general growth retardation, which was consistent with the slower growth rate and the increased susceptibility to senescence of Patz1(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) compared to wild-type controls. Therefore, these results indicate a critical role of PATZ1 in the control of cell growth and embryonic development.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Endocrinologia ed Oncologia Sperimentale del CNR and Dipartimento di Biologia e Patologia Cellulare e Molecolare, Università di Napoli Federico II, Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Valentino
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Palmieri
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vitiello
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Simeone
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Palma
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arra
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chieffi
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chiariotti
authors.forename: Alfredo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fusco
authors.forename: Monica
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fedele
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002453:Cell Cycle / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000196:embryology; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D005317:Fetal Growth Retardation / Q000235:genetics; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology; D010641:Phenotype; D011247:Pregnancy; D012097:Repressor Proteins / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D012097:Repressor Proteins; C485875:Zfp278 protein, mouse