Vil-Cre specific Slfn3KO mice exhibit sex-specific differences in lung, stomach, cecum, kidney, and proximal colon differentiation markers and Slfn family members expression levels

Emilie E. Vomhof-DeKrey; Odele K. Rajpathy; Elizabeth Preszler; Marc D. Basson

Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports (Dec 2023)

Vil-Cre specific Slfn3KO mice exhibit sex-specific differences in lung, stomach, cecum, kidney, and proximal colon differentiation markers and Slfn family members expression levels

Emilie E. Vomhof-DeKrey,
Odele K. Rajpathy,
Elizabeth Preszler,
Marc D. Basson

Affiliations

Emilie E. Vomhof-DeKrey: Department of Surgery, School of Medicine and the Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA; Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and the Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA
Odele K. Rajpathy: Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and the Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA
Elizabeth Preszler: Department of Biomedical Sciences, School of Medicine and the Health Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA
Marc D. Basson: Department of Surgery, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, USA; Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, USA; Corresponding author. Department of Surgery, Northeast Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, USA.

Journal volume & issue: Vol. 36
p. 101552

Abstract

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The Schlafen (Slfn) family proteins are critical regulators of cell proliferation, induction of immune responses, differentiation, self-restoration, and cell cycle progression. Rodent Slfn3 and human ortholog SLFN12 are critical in the regulation of intestinal epithelial differentiation. Following previous work utilizing Vil-Cre epithelial-specific Slfn3 knockout (VC-Slfn3KO) mice to evaluate Slfn3's role in small intestinal epithelial differentiation, we sought to characterize and distinguish the effects of Slfn3 loss on Slfn family member mRNA expression and differentiation markers for other epithelial cells in the lung, stomach, cecum, and proximal colon. Quantitative PCR analysis of Slfn1, 2, 4, 5, 8, and 9 and multiple differentiation markers were evaluated. We observed gender-specific effects with the loss of Slfn3 on the other Slfn family members and epithelial differentiation markers expression. Lung Slfn4 and 5 were increased only in male VC-Slfn3KO while lung Slfn2 and 8 were decreased only in female VC-Slfn3KO compared to controls. Slfn1, 2, 4, and 9 were increased in the gastric mucosa of male VC-Slfn3KO mice compared to controls. Slfn5 was reduced in female VC-Slfn3KO proximal colonic mucosa compared to controls. Lung AT1 cell differentiation marker Hopx mRNA expression was decreased and Ager was increased in VC-Slfn3KO male mice compared to controls. Lung AT2 differentiation markers and surfactant genes Sftpc and Sftpd were decreased in male VC-Slfn3KO mice. Stomach transcription factors, Lgr5 and Notch1 were increased in male VC-Slfn3KO. Tff1 secretory protein gene was decreased in female VC-Slfn3KO mice. Sucrase isomaltase was greatly increased in male VC-Slfn3KO mice in both cecal and proximal colonic mucosa, but glucose transporter Glut2 was decreased only in the cecum of female VC-Slfn3KO. The changes induced by VC-Slfn3KO in the expression of epithelial differentiation markers and other Schlafen proteins in various target tissues, indicate a complex regulation of gene expression that is sex-dependent.

Published in Biochemistry and Biophysics Reports

ISSN: 2405-5808 (Online)
Publisher: Elsevier
Country of publisher: Netherlands
LCC subjects: Science: Biology (General); Science: Chemistry: Organic chemistry: Biochemistry
Website: http://www.journals.elsevier.com/biochemistry-and-biophysics-reports/

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