Eye pathology in transgenic mice carrying a MSV-SV 40 large T-construct

Several lines of transgenic mice carrying a transgene construct consisting of the regulatory enhancer element of the Moloney murine sarcoma virus and the Simian virus 40 genome coding for the SV 40 promoter and the large T antigen were established. We describe several abnormalities found in the eyes of transgenic animals of which heritable cataract formation, probably due to disturbances in primary lens fibre differentiation, showed a close correlation to large T antigen expression. Additionally, lenticonus anterior, retinal dysplasia and one case of malignant transformation of lens epithelium were found. The introduction of the deleted MSV-enhancer linked to the large T coding region led to less severe postnatally occurring cataracts. Thus, the partial deletion of the MSV enhancer resulted in differences in the degree of severity of lens disturbances. However, tissue specificity remained constant. Our results indicate that large T antigen seems to play an important role in cataract formation but not in the pathogenesis of retinal dysplasia.