Cited by 62Neonatal Respiratory Health ResearchAnimal Genetics and ReproductionDevelopmental Biology and Gene Regulation

rtTA toxicity limits the usefulness of the SP-C-rtTA transgenic mouse

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Morimoto, Mitsuru, Kopan, Raphael·2009·Developmental Biology

Abstract

The doxycycline (DOX)-inducible gene expression systems allow tight temporal and spatial control of transgene expression, invaluable in studies of organ development and disease pathogenesis. Transgenic mice using the human Surfactant Protein C promoter to drive the expression of the reverse tetracycline transactivator (SP-C-rtTA) enabled functional analysis of essential gene function during lung development. Here we report that DOX-fed SP-C-rtTA mice during the period in which Type II cells differentiate results in cellular toxicity that may have confounded the interpretation of previous reports using this line. These effects included impaired alveologenesis, loss/reduction in expression of surfactant-associated proteins, and death. Severity was dependent on genetic background: outbred mice or those on a CD1 background are highly susceptible, whereas the C57BL/6 background appeared resistant by morphological criteria. However, quantitative analysis reveled that DOX-fed, SP-C-rtTA C57BL/6 pups had reduced surfactant mRNA accumulation that could contribute to synthetic lethality when combined with other genetic alterations. We conclude that the combination of genetic backgrounds, length of DOX exposure and the presence of the SP-C-rtTA transgene contributed more than previously appreciated to the similarities seen in the phenotypes reported by investigators using the SP-C-rtTA, (tetO)(7)-Cre. These studies demonstrate the importance of using appropriate SP-C-rtTA only controls in all experiments.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.ydbio.2008.10.013

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  • In transgenic mice, toxic side-effects of tTA and rtTA have been reported.

    “In transgenic mice, toxic side-effects of tTA and rtTA have also been reported [79-83].”

    From Tet-On Systems For Doxycycline-inducible Gene Expression (2016) · cites this paper as [83]

    The Results and Discussion report toxic effects of SP-C-rtTA in transgenic mice, particularly with doxycycline exposure during lung development. The passages do not report toxicity of tTA as a separate transactivator; despite one subsection heading saying “tTA/DOX,” its text discusses rtTA/DOX. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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  • The severity of toxic side-effects of tTA and rtTA depends on the genetic background of the animal and possibly also on the (r)tTA version used.

    “The severity of these effects depends on the genetic background of the animal and possibly also on the (r)tTA version used.”

    From Tet-On Systems For Doxycycline-inducible Gene Expression (2016) · cites this paper as [83]

    The Results and Discussion section on genetic background (page not supplied) shows that SP-C-rtTA toxicity differed between CD1 and C57BL/6 mice. The paper discusses one rtTA variant, but does not establish that toxicity severity depends on the (r)tTA version used or assess tTA toxicity generally. (LLM, conf=0.86)

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Authors
Morimoto, M., & Kopan, R.
Affiliations
Washington University in St. Louis (US)
Corresponding author
Kopan, Raphael
Venue
Developmental Biology
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2009-01
Volume
325
Issue
1
Pages
171-178
ISSN
0012-1606 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2037335708
Cited by
62
References
33
Citations by year
2025: 2 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 1 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 1 · 2018: 3 · 2017: 6 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 3 · 2014: 1 · 2013: 11 · 2012: 8
FWCI
3.69
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Developmental Biology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (acceptedVersion)
Funders
  • Toyobo Biotechnology Foundation
  • National Institutes of Health
  • National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (R01DK066408)
  • Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (HD 044056, R01HD044056)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Neonatal Respiratory Health Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Genetics › Animal Genetics and Reproduction
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
Keywords
reverse tetracycline transactivator, surfactant protein C promoter, inducible gene expression, alveolarization, genetic background effects, synthetic lethality, lung development
MeSH terms
Animals, Cell Survival, Doxycycline, Mice, Transgenic, Phenotype, Pulmonary Alveoli, Tetracycline, Trans-Activators, Survival Analysis, Pulmonary Surfactant-Associated Protein C, Embryonic Development, Mice

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