Endothelial Cell-Specific Knockout of Connexin 43 Causes Hypotension and Bradycardia in Mice

• Published in: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences - PNAS Vol. 98; no. 17; pp. 9989 - 9994
• Main Authors: Liao, Y., Day, K. H., Damon, D. N., Duling, B. R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States National Academy of Sciences 14-08-2001; National Acad Sciences
• Subjects: Angiotensin I - blood; angiotensin II; Angiotensin II - blood; Animals; Aorta; Biological Sciences; Blood plasma; Blood pressure; Bradycardia - genetics; Bradycardia - metabolism; Cardiovascular disease; Cell Communication; Connexin 43 - deficiency; Connexin 43 - genetics; Connexin 43 - physiology; cx43 gene; Endothelial cells; Endothelium; Endothelium, Vascular - metabolism; Endothelium, Vascular - physiopathology; Exons; Exons - genetics; Gap Junctions - physiology; Gene Deletion; Gene Expression Regulation; Genes; Genes, Synthetic; Homeostasis; Homologous recombination; Hypotension; Hypotension - genetics; Hypotension - metabolism; Integrases - biosynthesis; Integrases - genetics; Integrases - physiology; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Models, Animal; Mutation; Nitric Oxide - biosynthesis; Organ Specificity; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Proteins; Receptor Protein-Tyrosine Kinases - genetics; Receptor, TIE-2; Recombinant Fusion Proteins - biosynthesis; Recombination, Genetic; Regulatory Sequences, Nucleic Acid; Rodents; Stem cells; Transgenes; Vascular Resistance; Viral Proteins - biosynthesis; Viral Proteins - genetics; Viral Proteins - physiology
• ISSN: 0027-8424; 1091-6490
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.171305298

Connexin 43 (Cx43) is a protein expressed in a variety of mammalian tissues. However, the lack of specific blockers and the absence of known genetic mutants have hampered the investigation of the function of this protein. Cx43-null mice die shortly after birth, thus preventing functional studies in vivo. Here, we report the generation and characterization of a vascular endothelial cell-specific deletion of the Cx43 gene (VEC Cx43 KO) in mice by using the loxP/Cre system. Using homologous recombination, a mouse line was created carrying loxP sites flanking exon 2 of the Cx43 gene ("floxed" mice). To produce cell specific deletion of the Cx43 gene, these mice were crossed with animals from a line carrying the Tie 2-Cre transgene. The homozygous VEC Cx43 KO mice survived to maturity. However, they were hypotensive and bradycardic when compared with heterozygous VEC Cx43 KO mice, or to the floxed Cx43 gene mice. The hypotension was associated with marked elevation of plasma nitric oxide (NO) levels as well as elevated plasma angiotensin (Ang) I and II. We hypothesize that endothelial cell Cx43 plays a key role in the formation and/or action of NO, and that the elevation of Ang II is a secondary event. The specific cellular basis for the hypotension remains to be established, but our findings support the idea that endothelial Cx43 gap junctions are involved in maintaining normal vascular function; moreover, these animals provide the opportunity to determine more clearly the role of endothelial Cx43 in vascular development and homeostasis.