Cx3cr1CreERT2-driven Atg7 deletion in adult mice induces intestinal adhesion

Mol Brain. 2020 Jun 8;13(1):88. doi: 10.1186/s13041-020-00630-4.

Abstract

Microglia are macrophages resident in the central nervous system. C-X3-C motif chemokine receptor 1 (CX3CR1) is a Gαi-coupled seven-transmembrane protein exclusively expressed in the mononuclear phagocyte system including microglia, as well as intestinal and kidney macrophages. Cx3cr1CreERT2 mice express Cre recombinase in a tamoxifen-inducible manner and have been widely used to delete target genes in microglia, since microglia are long-lived cells and outlive peripheral macrophages, which continuously turn over and lose their gene modification over time. ATG7 is an E1-like enzyme that plays an essential role in two ubiquitin-like reactions, ATG12-ATG5 conjugation and LC3-lipidation in autophagy. To study the role of ATG7 in adult microglia, we generated Cx3cr1CreERT2:Atg7fl/fl mice and deleted Atg7 at the age of 8 weeks, and found induction of intestinal adhesion. Since intestinal adhesion is caused by excessive inflammation, these results suggest that deletion of Atg7 in intestinal macrophages even for a short time results in inflammation that cannot be rescued by replenishment with wild-type intestinal macrophages. Our finding suggests that, depending on the roles of the gene, Cx3cr1-Cre-mediated gene deletion may yield unanticipated physiological outcomes outside the central nervous system, and careful necropsy is necessary to assure the microglia-specific roles of the target gene.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Autophagy-Related Protein 7 / metabolism*
  • CX3C Chemokine Receptor 1 / metabolism*
  • Gene Deletion*
  • Integrases / metabolism*
  • Intestines / pathology*
  • Mice
  • Tamoxifen / pharmacology
  • Tissue Adhesions / genetics*

Substances

  • Atg7 protein, mouse
  • CX3C Chemokine Receptor 1
  • Cx3cr1 protein, mouse
  • Tamoxifen
  • Cre recombinase
  • Integrases
  • Autophagy-Related Protein 7