Endogenous beta-galactosidase activity marks a TREM2-expressing Kupffer cell population in injured livers of Lgr5-LacZ and wild-type mice

Mariliis Klaas, Kristina Mäemets-Allas, Kadi Lõhmussaar, Mikk Tooming, Janeli Viil, Viljar Jaks*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

    Abstract

    Lgr5-LacZ mice harbor the Escherichia coli LacZ gene encoding β-galactosidase (β-gal) under the control of the Lgr5 promoter, a stem/progenitor cell marker. In injured livers of Lgr5-LacZ mice, cells expressing β-galactosidase (β-gal) are considered as potential bipotent liver progenitors; however, their origin and identity remain unknown. Unexpectedly, using lineage tracing, we demonstrate that the β-gal+ cells do not originate from liver parenchymal cells. Instead, β-gal+ cells, isolated from injured livers of both Lgr5-LacZ and wild-type mice, are positive for markers of Kupffer cells, liver-resident macrophages. The β-gal expression in these cells is a result of elevated expression of the endogenous beta-galactosidase Glb1. In injured livers of Lgr5-LacZ mice, bacterial β-gal expression is very low, suggesting transgene silencing. The gene expression profile of the β-gal+ Kupffer cells from injured livers suggests a role in liver regeneration.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)958-970
    Number of pages13
    JournalFEBS letters
    Volume594
    Issue number5
    Early online date9 Nov 2019
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Mar 2020

    Keywords

    • Animals
    • Carbon Tetrachloride/adverse effects
    • Cell Lineage
    • Cells, Cultured
    • Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury/genetics
    • Escherichia coli Proteins/genetics
    • Escherichia coli/enzymology
    • Female
    • Gene Expression Profiling
    • Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic
    • Kupffer Cells/drug effects
    • Lac Operon
    • Liver Regeneration
    • Male
    • Membrane Glycoproteins/metabolism
    • Mice
    • Mice, Transgenic
    • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled/genetics
    • Receptors, Immunologic/metabolism
    • Sequence Analysis, RNA
    • beta-Galactosidase/genetics

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