The SBM mouse is a unique transgenic model of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) induced by the dysregulated expression of c-myc in renal tissue. displayed a markedly elevated (10C100-fold) apoptotic buy 1561178-17-3 index. However, no significant difference in bcl-2, bax, or p53 expression was observed in SBM kidney compared with controls. Direct proof that the heightened renal cellular apoptosis in PKD is not occurring through p53 was obtained by successive matings between SBM and p53?/? mice. All SBM offspring, irrespective of their p53 genotype, developed PKD with increased renal epithelial apoptotic index. In addition, overexpression of both bcl-2 and c-myc in double transgenic mice (SBB+/SBM+) also produced a similar PKD phenotype with a high apoptotic rate, showing that c-myc can bypass bcl-2 in vivo. Thus, the in vivo c-myc apoptotic pathway in SBM mice occurs through a p53- and bcl-2Cindependent mechanism. We conclude that the pathogenesis of PKD is c-myc specific and involves a critical imbalance between the opposing processes of cell proliferation and apoptosis. Polycystic kidney disease (PKD)1 is one of the most prevalent and clinically important inherited renal diseases. Studies of genetic animal models have provided a valuable in buy 1561178-17-3 vivo system to investigate molecular and cellular mechanisms of cystogenesis. We have generated the SBM transgenic model which most closely resembles the human autosomal dominant PKD renal phenotype (35). The SBM transgene specifically targets c-myc to the renal tissue and was fully penetrant for the cystic phenotype in all 18 transgenic lines produced. The fact that all 18 transgenic lines developed PKD indicate that the site of transgene insertion is not critical to the development of the renal phenotype. The occurrence of spontaneous revertants in several different transgenic lines due to mutations in the transgene proves that the undamaged transgene is required for the PKD phenotype (34). The course of PKD in the SBM mice evolves inside a predictable manner with earliest detectable cyst formation in late fetal development (E16.5), progressive multicystic renal enlargement and inevitable development of renal failure in young adulthood. Cysts are 1st detectable in glomeruli and collecting tubules with later on involvement of the more proximal nephron (7). Tubular epithelial hyperplasia is an integral feature of this model, often accompanied by microadenomas. Our studies into epithelial polarity have shown the cyst lining cells frequently display reversed polarity similar to that of immature renal epithelium during nephrogenesis (2). Even though physiological functions of the c-myc protein are poorly recognized, c-myc is known to be involved in cell proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation and neoplasia. The critical part of the c-myc proto-oncogene in murine development is definitely underscored from the severe intrauterine growth retardation of c-myc-null mice which fail to survive beyond E10.5 (8). Because these mice pass away (E9.5-E10.5) before renal metanephric development is initiated, these studies do not elucidate whether c-myc is essential for renal development. However, c-myc offers been shown to be particularly highly indicated in cells of mesodermal source such as the kidney (29, 32). During renal organogenesis, c-myc is definitely highly indicated in noninduced metanephric mesenchyme as well as with developing tubules of the mesonephros and metanephros (29). Upon metanephric induction and development, the high prevalence of cellular proliferation and apoptosis coincides with c-myc manifestation (5, 15). As fetal nephrogenesis progresses, there is continual decrease of c-myc manifestation to undetectable levels at birth (41). In contrast, in our SBM model, c-myc is not downregulated at birth but remains continuously indicated in renal cells. Moreover, the renal epithelium has an immature phenotype with respect to cellular hyperplasia and polarity, findings which correlate with earlier observations within the reciprocal relationship between cell division and terminal differentiation. Because of the compelling evidence that c-myc is definitely a major mediator of cystogenesis, we set out to determine the specificity of c-myc for this phenotype. We approached this query by generating novel transgenic lines which target two different genes, c-fos and TGF-, to the kidney. Moreover, we sought to investigate the functions of c-mycC driven proliferation and apoptosis and the family member contributions of potential regulators bcl-2, bax and p53 to decipher the fundamental in vivo cellular mechanisms and molecular pathways that mediate PKD. Materials and Methods Production of Transgenic Mice The SBM fusion create used to produce the SBM transgenic mouse lines has been explained previously (35). In brief, this Rabbit Polyclonal to NMS construct consisted of the coding region of the c-myc proto-oncogene (exons 2, 3, and 3 buy 1561178-17-3 flanking sequences) linked to the -globin promoter contained inside a 687-bp fragment and the two 72-bp repeats of the.