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Updated: Feb 8, 2026

Transthoracic Echocardiographic Examination in the Rabbit Model
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Transthoracic Echocardiographic Examination in the Rabbit Model

Published on: June 1, 2019

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The rabbit as an orthologous small animal model for APOBEC3A oncogenesis

Hélène C Laude1, Vincent Caval1, Mohamed S Bouzidi1

  • 1Molecular Retrovirology Unit, Institut Pasteur, CNRS UMR 3569, France.

Oncotarget
|July 3, 2018
PubMed

Insights

Researchers identified a rabbit APOBEC3A enzyme, crucial in cancer development, which is conserved with humans. This finding suggests rabbits are a valuable model for studying APOBEC3-driven oncogenesis.

Area of Science:

  • Molecular Biology
  • Genetics
  • Oncology

Background:

  • APOBEC3 enzymes are cytidine deaminases involved in human oncogenesis.
  • The APOBEC3 locus varies across mammals, with APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B having distinct conservation patterns.
  • Understanding APOBEC3 function requires suitable animal models.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the rabbit APOBEC3 locus and its encoded enzymes.
  • To investigate the functional conservation and regulatory mechanisms of rabbit APOBEC3A.
  • To evaluate the potential of rabbits as a model for APOBEC3-driven oncogenesis.

Main Methods:

  • Bioinformatic analysis of the rabbit APOBEC3 locus.
  • Biochemical assays to determine the enzymatic activity of rabbit APOBEC3A.
  • Expression analysis in rabbit tissues.
  • Interaction studies with rabbit TRIB3.

Main Results:

  • The rabbit APOBEC3 locus encodes two genes, including an APOBEC3A ortholog of human APOBEC3A.
  • Rabbit APOBEC3A deaminates DNA, induces double-strand breaks, and is regulated by TRIB3, similar to its human counterpart.
  • Unlike human APOBEC3A, rabbit APOBEC3A is widely expressed across rabbit tissues.

Conclusions:

  • The APOBEC3A/TRIB3 regulatory pair is conserved over 100 million years.
  • Rabbit APOBEC3A exhibits functional similarities and differences compared to human APOBEC3A.
  • The broad expression of rabbit APOBEC3A supports its utility as a small animal model for studying APOBEC3-driven oncogenesis.
Keywords:
APOBEC3Aanimal modelcancercytidine deaminaserabbit

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