Vil-Cre specific Schlafen 3 knockout mice exhibit sex-specific differences in intestinal differentiation markers and Schlafen family members expression levels

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 16; no. 10; p. e0259195
• Main Authors: Vomhof-DeKrey, Emilie E, Stover, Allie D, Labuhn, Mary, Osman, Marcus R, Basson, Marc D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 28.10.2021; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Analysis; Animals; Annealing; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomarkers; Cell cycle; Cell Cycle Proteins - genetics; Cell Differentiation; Cell proliferation; Cell Self Renewal; Differentiation; Dipeptidyl-peptidase IV; Engineering and Technology; Epithelium; Female; Gene expression; Genetic aspects; Glucose; Glucose Transport Proteins, Facilitative - genetics; Glucose Transport Proteins, Facilitative - metabolism; Glucose transporter; Health sciences; Ileum; Immune system; Inflammatory bowel diseases; Intestinal Mucosa - cytology; Intestinal Mucosa - embryology; Intestinal Mucosa - metabolism; Intestine; Laboratories; Male; Medicine; Medicine and Health Sciences; Metabolic pathways; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Na+/glucose cotransporter; Peptidase; Peptidases; Proteins; Protocol; Research and Analysis Methods; Sex; Sex Factors; Sodium; Structure; Ulcers; Villus; United States; United States > US
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0259195

The intestinal epithelium requires self-renewal and differentiation in order to function and adapt to pathological diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease, short gut syndrome, and ulcers. The rodent Slfn3 protein and the human Slfn12 analog are known to regulate intestinal epithelial differentiation. Previous work utilizing a pan-Slfn3 knockout (KO) mouse model revealed sex-dependent gene expression disturbances in intestinal differentiation markers, metabolic pathways, Slfn family member mRNA expression, adaptive immune cell proliferation/functioning genes, and phenotypically less weight gain and sex-dependent changes in villus length and crypt depth. We have now created a Vil-Cre specific Slfn3KO (VC-Slfn3KO) mouse to further evaluate its role in intestinal differentiation. There were increases in Slfn1, Slfn2, Slfn4, and Slfn8 and decreases in Slfn5 and Slfn9 mRNA expression that were intestinal region and sex-specific. Differentiation markers, sucrase isomaltase (SI), villin 1, and dipeptidyl peptidase 4 and glucose transporters, glucose transporter 1 (Glut1), Glut2, and sodium glucose transporter 1 (SGLT1), were increased in expression in VC-Slfn3KO mice based on intestinal region and were also highly female sex-biased, except for SI in the ileum was also increased for male VC-Slfn3KO mice and SGLT1 was decreased for both sexes. Overall, the variations that we observed in these VC-Slfn3KO mice indicate a complex regulation of intestinal gene expression that is sex-dependent.