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Prometheus' myth revisited: transgenic mice as a powerful tool to study liver regeneration
Author(s) -
Pistoi Sergio,
Morello Dominique
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
the faseb journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.709
H-Index - 277
eISSN - 1530-6860
pISSN - 0892-6638
DOI - 10.1096/fasebj.10.8.8666158
Subject(s) - transgene , biology , genetically modified mouse , regeneration (biology) , gene , liver regeneration , function (biology) , gene knockout , gene expression , microbiology and biotechnology , knockout mouse , genetics
In this review, we present examples of the contribution of transgenic mice to our knowledge concerning the type of cells that are able to repopulate a damaged liver and information on the factors and mechanisms involved in postnatal liver growth and regeneration. The transgenic technology offers the opportunity to evaluate the physiological consequences of perturbating expression of a given gene in vivo. It has provided insights into the concerted action of extracellular (HGF/SF, TGF‐α, EGF, TGF‐ β) and intracellular factors (c‐myc, c‐fos, c‐jun, p53, c‐ met , and others) in liver regeneration. Transgenic mice can also contribute to the dissection of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the regulated expression of these factors, both at the transcriptional and the posttranscriptional level. An illustration of such a strategy is given by the study of the sequences involved in the posttranscriptional regulation of the c‐ myc proto‐oncogene. The recent im‐provement of gene targeting, in which endogenous genes are inactivated by homologous recombination, represents a further step toward the study of the function of a particular gene. Inactivation of most of the factors described in this review has been under‐taken. However, further studies of their role in liver growth control are impeded by the fact that the corresponding knockout mice die prematurely. This problem could be overcome by the advent of new techniques, which will be briefly presented, aimed at turning genes on and off at will and in a tissue‐specific manner.—Pistoi, S., Morello, D. Prometheus' myth revisited: transgenic mice as a powerful tool to study liver regeneration. FASEB J. 10, 819‐828 (1996)