Normal development of mice and unimpaired cell adhesion/cell motility/actin-based cytoskeleton without compensatory up-regulation of ezrin or radixin in moesin gene knockout

Yoshinori Doi, Masahiko Itoh, Shigenobu Yonemura, Satoru Ishihara, Hiroshi Takano, Tetsuo Noda, Shoichiro Tsukita, Sachiko Tsukita

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

148 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Ezrin/radixin/moesin (ERM) proteins are general cross-linkers between the plasma membrane and actin filaments. Because their expression is regulated in a tissue-specific manner, each ERM protein has been proposed to have unique functions. On the other hand, experiments at the cellular level and in vitro have suggested their functional redundancy. To assess the possible unique functions of ERM proteins in vive, the moesin gene located on the X chromosome was disrupted by gene targeting in embryonic stem cells. Male mice hemizygous for the mutation as well as homozygous females were completely devoid of moesin but developed normally and were fertile, with no obvious histological abnormalities in any of the tissues examined. In the tissues of the mutant mice, moesin completely disappeared without affecting the expression levels or subcellular distribution of ezrin and radixin. Also, in platelets, fibroblasts, and mast cells isolated from moesin-deficient mice, targeted disruption of the moesin gene did not affect their ERM- dependent functions, i.e. platelet aggregation, stress fiber/focal contact formation of fibroblasts, and microvillar formation of mast cells, without compensatory up-regulation of ezrin or radixin. These findings favor the notion that ERM proteins are functionally redundant at the cellular as well as the whole body level.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2315-2321
Number of pages7
JournalJournal of Biological Chemistry
Volume274
Issue number4
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 22-01-1999
Externally publishedYes

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Biochemistry
  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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