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Characterization of mice lacking the tetraspanin superfamily member CD151
Mark D Wright1, Sean M Geary, Stephen Fitter
1Austin Research Institute, Melbourne.
Insights
The tetraspanin CD151 protein is crucial for normal hemostasis, keratinocyte migration, and T lymphocyte function. CD151-null mice exhibit impaired bleeding, reduced keratinocyte motility, and hyperactive T cells.
Area of Science:
- Cell Biology
- Immunology
- Developmental Biology
Background:
- Tetraspanin CD151 is a cell membrane protein associated with integrins.
- CD151 plays roles in cell adhesion, migration, platelet aggregation, and angiogenesis.
- CD151 is implicated in epithelial tumor progression and metastasis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To generate and characterize CD151-null mice.
- To investigate the in vivo functions of CD151.
Main Methods:
- Generation of CD151-null mouse model.
- Analysis of mouse viability, fertility, blood counts, and tissue morphology.
- Assessment of hemostasis, keratinocyte migration, and T lymphocyte proliferation.
Main Results:
- CD151-null mice are viable, healthy, and fertile with normal Mendelian inheritance.
- Absence of CD151 results in minor hemostasis abnormalities, including longer bleeding times and increased blood loss.
- CD151-null keratinocytes display impaired migration, and CD151-null T lymphocytes show hyperproliferation upon mitogenic stimulation.
Conclusions:
- CD151 plays a significant role in hemostasis, keratinocyte migration, and T lymphocyte function.
- CD151-null mice serve as a valuable model for studying CD151 functions in vivo.
- Further research is warranted to explore CD151's involvement in disease pathogenesis.
Abstract:
The tetraspanin membrane protein CD151 is a broadly expressed molecule noted for its strong molecular associations with integrins, especially alpha3beta1, alpha6beta1, alpha7beta1, and alpha6beta4. In vitro functional studies have pointed to a role for CD151 in cell-cell adhesion, cell migration, platelet aggregation, and angiogenesis. It has also been implicated in epithelial tumor progression and metastasis. Here we describe the generation and initial characterization of CD151-null mice. The mice are viable, healthy, and fertile and show normal Mendelian inheritance. They have essentially normal blood and bone marrow cell counts and grossly normal tissue morphology, including hemidesmosomes in skin, and expression of alpha3 and alpha6 integrins. However, the CD151-null mice do show phenotypes in several different tissue types. An absence of CD151 leads to a minor abnormality in hemostasis, with CD151-null mice showing longer average bleeding times, greater average blood loss, and an increased incidence of rebleeding occurrences. CD151-null keratinocytes migrate poorly in skin explant cultures. Finally, CD151-null T lymphocytes are hyperproliferative in response to in vitro mitogenic stimulation.
