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J. Cell Biol.,
Volume 140, Number 6, March 23, 1998 1441-1451


* Institut fuer Genetik, Abteilung Molekulargenetik, Here, we report on the analysis of keratin 18 null mice. Unlike the ablation of K8, which together
with K18 is expressed in embryonic and simple adult
epithelia, K18 null mice are viable, fertile, and show a
normal lifespan. In young K18 null mice, hepatocytes were completely devoid of keratin filaments. Nevertheless, typical desmosomes were formed and maintained.
Old K18 null mice, however, developed a distinctive
liver pathology with abnormal hepatocytes containing
K8-positive aggregates. These stained positively for ubiquitin and MM120-1 and were identified as Mallory
bodies, one hallmark of human alcoholic hepatitis. This
is the first demonstration that the ablation of one keratin leads to the accumulation of its single partner. Another striking finding was the absence or drastic down
regulation of K7 in several tissues despite its ongoing transcription. Moreover, K18 null mice revealed new
insights in the filament-forming capacity of the tail-less
K19 in vivo. Due to the unexpected secondary loss of
K7, only K8/19 are expressed in the uterine epithelium
of K18 null mice. Immunoelectron microscopy of this
tissue demonstrated the presence of typical K8/19 IF, thus highlighting in vivo that K19 is a fully competent
partner for K8.
Bonner Forum Biomedizin, § Neurologische Klinik und Poliklinik,
Universitaet Bonn, 53117 Bonn, Germany;
Institute of Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9
3JR, United Kingdom; ¶ Institut fuer Pathologie, Universitaet Graz, A-8036 Graz, Austria; ** Abteilung fuer Zellbiologie,
Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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