title: Embryonic viability, lipase deficiency, hypertriglyceridemia and neonatal lethality in a novel LMF1-deficient mouse model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Lipase Maturation Factor 1 (LMF1) is an ER-chaperone involved in the post-translational maturation and catalytic activation of vascular lipases including lipoprotein lipase (LPL), hepatic lipase (HL) and endothelial lipase (EL). Mutations in LMF1 are associated with lipase deficiency and severe hypertriglyceridemia indicating the critical role of LMF1 in plasma lipid homeostasis. The currently available mouse model of LMF1 deficiency is based on a naturally occurring truncating mutation, combined lipase deficiency (cld), which may represent a hypomorphic allele. Thus, development of LMF1-null mice is needed to explore the phenotypic consequences of complete LMF1 deficiency.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In situ hybridization and qPCR analysis in the normal mouse embryo revealed ubiquitous and high-level LMF1 expression. To investigate if LMF1 was required for embryonic viability, a novel mouse model based on a null-allele of LMF1 was generated and characterized. LMF1-/- progeny were born at Mendelian ratios and exhibited combined lipase deficiency, hypertriglyceridemia and neonatal lethality.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results raise the possibility of a previously unrecognized role for LMF1 in embryonic development, but indicate that LMF1 is dispensable for the viability of mouse embryo. The novel mouse model developed in this study will be useful to investigate the full phenotypic spectrum of LMF1 deficiency.
authors.affiliation: Medical Genetics Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ehrhardt
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA.
authors.forename: Candy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bedoya
authors.affiliation: Medical Genetics Research Institute, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA ; Department of Biomedical Sciences, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90048, USA ; Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
authors.forename: Miklós
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Péterfy
keywords: Hyper-triglyceridemia; LMF1; Lipase Maturation Factor 1; Lipase deficiency