Morg1(+/-) heterozygous mice are protected from experimentally induced focal cerebral ischemia

Focal cerebral ischemia (stroke) and reperfusion injury leads to acute and chronic brain damage. The increase of the hypoxia-inducible transcription factor alpha (HIF-α), an important transcription factor for several genes, may attenuate ischemic brain injury. We recently identified a new WD-repeat protein designated Morg1 (MAPK organizer 1) that interacts with prolyl hydroxylase 3 (PHD3), an important enzyme involved in the regulation of HIF-1α and HIF-2α expression. While homozygous Morg1(-/-) mice are embryonically lethal, heterozygous Morg1(+/-) mice have a normal phenotype. Brain vasculature as well as systolic blood pressure in Morg1(+/-) mice were indistinguishable from wild-type (WT) animals. We show here that Morg1(+/-) mice were partially protected from cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury in comparison to WT (Morg1(+/+)) animals using the middle cerebral artery occlusion model (MCAO). Morg1(+/-) mice compared with WT animals revealed a significantly reduced infarct volume as detected by Nissl and Map 2 staining despite a similar restriction of blood flow in both mice genotypes as measured by laser Doppler flowmetry. Immunohistochemistry revealed specific Morg1 expression in reactive astrocytes in the ipsilateral (ischemic) hemisphere in Morg1(+/-) and WT mice, especially in the penumbral regions. In the contralateral hemisphere, Morg1 was not detectable. Furthermore, Morg1 mRNA expression was significantly enhanced in the ischemic brain of WT, but not in ischemic brain tissue obtained from Morg1(+/-) animals. However, HIF-1α was expressed with the same intensity in Morg1(+/-) and WT mice with no difference between the ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres. No positive staining for HIF-2α was found in ischemic (ipsilateral) and non-ischemic (contralateral) brain regions in Morg1(+/+) and Morg1(+/-) mice. Almost no PHD3 staining was found in the contralateral hemispheres of either WT or heterozygous Morg1(+/-) mice. Transcript expression for the HIF1α-dependent genes erythropoietin (Epo) and vascular endothelial growth factor 164 (VEGF 164) were significantly reduced in the ischemic brain from Morg1(+/-) mice. Positive staining for PHD3 in the ipsilateral hemisphere of WT mice was suggested to occur in astrocytes. A compensatory increase in Morg1 expression in astrocytes in the penumbra may negatively influence infarct volume. It appears that these effects are independent of the PHD3-HIF1α axis.