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Target Discovery and Validation Reviews and Protocols

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Transgenic Models 185<br />

be fixed <strong>and</strong> are thus dead before proceeding to the enzymatic reaction. This death<br />

prevents repeated observation on the same organ. However, the β-galactosidase<br />

gene is GC rich <strong>and</strong> frequently silenced in transgenic animals. A redesigned<br />

β-galactosidase gene in which most of the codons rich in GC sequences have<br />

been replaced by isocodons is available. It does not induce gene silencing. Genes<br />

for green fluorescent protein (GFP) <strong>and</strong> other related proteins having different<br />

colors under UV light are more <strong>and</strong> more frequently used. They offer the advantage<br />

of being easily <strong>and</strong> repeatedly observed in the same tissues without using<br />

invasive techniques if the organ is in the periphery of the body (118,119).<br />

Moreover, the observation does not require cell death.<br />

Interestingly, a device, Cell Vizio, has been created to observe GFP-labeled<br />

cells individually in living animals (119a).<br />

Transgenic rabbits expressing GFP in all their cells (120) are currently used<br />

to follow cells after grafting of organs to other rabbits. Because of its size, the<br />

rabbit makes this approach easier than in mice. Essentially, in all the major<br />

animal species in which transgenesis has been achieved, GFP animals have<br />

been generated to be used as models.<br />

One limitation of GFP may be that this protein becomes cytotoxic at high<br />

concentration (120).<br />

Other specific examples are also worth consideration. Homozygous goat<br />

lines without horns are subfertile. It has been shown that this infertility is<br />

because of a mutation responsible for an abnormal differentiation of fetal<br />

gonads (121). This abnormality is similar to some human genetic diseases.<br />

Mice are not relevant models for this study (122). Transgenic goats obtained<br />

by cloning are currently being used for this purpose (E. Pailhoux, personal<br />

communication, 2005).<br />

Several hormone receptor genes have been overexpressed or knocked out to<br />

determine their role in tissue growth <strong>and</strong> differentiation. The mammary gl<strong>and</strong><br />

is composed of two major categories of cells. The parenchyma contains the<br />

secretory epithelial <strong>and</strong> the myoepithelial cells. The stroma, which surrounds<br />

the parenchyma, is formed by fibroblasts, adipocytes, <strong>and</strong> connective tissue.<br />

Progesterone is one of the hormones favoring mammary gl<strong>and</strong> growth in vivo<br />

<strong>and</strong> preventing milk secretion during pregnancy until parturition. The progesterone<br />

receptor gene is particularly present in the parenchyma. To determine its<br />

role, the progesterone receptor gene was knocked out. The development of the<br />

mammary gl<strong>and</strong> was impaired in these animals. The grafting of the fetal<br />

parenchyma from knocked out mice into the stroma of normal mice did not lead<br />

to a development of the mammary gl<strong>and</strong>. Conversely, normal parenchyma<br />

grafted into the stroma of knocked out mice developed to become a normal<br />

mammary gl<strong>and</strong>. These experiments confirm the role of progesterone in mammary<br />

gl<strong>and</strong> development, <strong>and</strong> they point out the different roles of parenchyma

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