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Analyzing mast cell development and function using mice carrying mutations at W/c-kit or Sl/MGF (SCF) loci.
S J Galli1, M Tsai, J R Gordon
1Department of Pathology, Beth Israel Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts.
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|January 1, 1992
Summary
W/Wv mice, lacking mast cells due to c-kit receptor mutations, can have their mast cell populations restored. This allows researchers to precisely study mast cell functions in various tissues.
Area of Science:
- Immunology
- Cell Biology
- Genetics
Background:
- Mast cells play a role in numerous biological responses, but their specific contributions are challenging to isolate.
- Mutations in the c-kit receptor (W locus) in W/Wv mice severely impair mast cell development due to reduced response to stem cell factor (SCF).
- Consequently, W/Wv mice exhibit a near-complete absence of tissue mast cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a model system for dissecting the specific roles of mast cells in biological processes.
- To enable the quantification of mast cell contributions to tissue-specific responses.
- To facilitate the mechanistic analysis of how mast cells influence physiological and pathological reactions.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing W/Wv mice, which are genetically deficient in mast cells.
- Performing adoptive transfer of in vitro-derived immature mast cells from normal (+/+) mice into W/Wv recipients.
- Establishing
Main Results:
- Adoptive transfer successfully restored mast cell populations in W/Wv mice.
- This restoration created a unique experimental model where tissues differ solely based on mast cell presence.
- The model allows for the direct analysis of mast cell functions in vivo.
Conclusions:
- The developed