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Thromb Haemost 2001; 85(06): 1025-1030
DOI: 10.1055/s-0037-1615958
Review Article
Schattauer GmbH

Increased Hepatic Fibrinogen Bβ-gene Transcription Is not enough to Increase Plasma Fibrinogen Levels

A Transgenic Mouse Study
F. Rezaee
1   Department of Vascular and Connective Tissue Research, Gaubius Laboratory, TNO-PG, Leiden, The Netherlands
,
A. Maas
1   Department of Vascular and Connective Tissue Research, Gaubius Laboratory, TNO-PG, Leiden, The Netherlands
,
J. H. Verheijen
1   Department of Vascular and Connective Tissue Research, Gaubius Laboratory, TNO-PG, Leiden, The Netherlands
,
J. Koopman
2   Pharming, Leiden, The Netherlands
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received 11 September 2000

Accepted after resubmission 16 January 2001

Publication Date:
12 December 2017 (online)

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Summary

The fibrinogen Aα, Bβ, and γ polypeptides are encoded by three separate genes, which are arranged in the order γ-α-β. In order to study the biosynthesis of fibrinogen in vivo we generated a line of transgenic mice carrying extra copies of the fibrinogen β-gene. To clone the mouse fibrinogen Bβ-chain gene, a mouse 129 Sv/Ev genomic cosmid library was screened, using the mouse fibrinogen Aα-, Bγ-chain cDNA. A clone containing the complete fibrinogen Bβ-chain gene including approximately 11-kb of the natural promoter region was identified and subsequently microinjected into mice. Southern blot analysis identified a founder that carried additional copies of the fibrinogen Bβ-chain gene. Transgenic offspring of this founder were interbred and heterozygous and homozygous transgenic mice were obtained. Northern blot analysis demonstrated approximately a 3-fold increase in fibrinogen Bβ mRNA in heterozygous mice as compared to wild-type, whereas homozygous transgenic mice showed approximately a 9-fold increase. The levels of the Aα and γ mRNAs in transgenic homozygous mice were not changed as compared to those in wild-type mice. Fibrinogen levels in plasma were not significantly increased in transgenic mice as compared to wild-type mice.

These results indicate that: additional copies of the fibrinogen Bβ-chain gene lead to increased levels of the Bβ-chain mRNA in the liver; the increased levels of Bβ-chain mRNA in homozygous overexpression mice do not change the transcription levels of the two other fibrinogen mRNAs in vivo; the absence of an increased plasma fibrinogen level in the transgenic mice indicates that this level is not regulated solely by transcription of the Bβ-chain gene.

Key words

Fibrinogen transcription - regulation Bβ-gene
 

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