Expression Of Whey Acidic Protein Research Articles

Extracellular matrix regulates whey acidic protein gene expression by suppression of TGF-alpha in mouse mammary epithelial cells: studies in culture and in transgenic mice.

Whey acidic protein (WAP) is an abundant rodent milk protein. Its expression in mouse mammary epithelial cell cultures was previously found to require the formation of an extracellular matrix (ECM)-induced three-dimensional alveolar structure. In the absence of such structures, cells were shown to secrete diffusible factors leading to suppression of WAP expression. We demonstrate here that (a) TGF-alpha production and secretion by mammary cells is downregulated by the basement membrane-dependent alveolar structure, and (b) compared with beta-casein, WAP expression is preferentially inhibited both in culture and in transgenic mice when TGF-alpha is added or overexpressed. Thus, (c) the enhanced TGF-alpha production when cells are not in three-dimensional structures largely accounts for the WAP-inhibitory activity found in the conditioned medium. Since this activity can be abolished by incubating the conditioned medium with a function blocking antibody to TGF-alpha. The data suggest that ECM upregulates WAP by downregulating TGF-alpha production. We also propose that changes in TGF-alpha activity during mouse gestation and lactation could contribute to the pattern of temporal expression of WAP in the gland. These results provide a clear example of cooperation among lactogenic hormones, ECM, and locally acting growth factors in regulation of tissue-specific gene expression.

Quantitative Analysis of the Expression of Whey Acidic Protein (WAP) mRNA in the Prolactin-Responsive Mouse Mammary Gland Epithelial Cell Line, HC11.

The prolactin (PRL)-responsive cell line, HC11, derived from normal mammary epithelial cell line COMMA-1D, expressed the long form of prolactin receptor (L-PRLR) mRNA, though the level was considerably lower than that in the mammary gland of the normal lactating mouse. HC11 cells expressed whey acidic protein (WAP) mRNA, when they were cultured to confluence and 'in vitro lactogenesis' was induced by the addition of PRL, insulin and dexamethasone. The levels of PRL-induced WAP expression, as measured by reverse transcriptase mediated polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), increased in a dose-dependent manner, as PRL concentrations were raised from 0.05 μg/ml to 50 μg/ml. Treatment of HC11 cells with human growth hormone (hGH) caused increase in levels of WAP mRNA. In contrast to PRL, hGH showed its maximum effect at 0.5 μg/ml. Beyond this concentration, the effect of hGH was greatly reduced. These results suggest that hGH has a narrow optimal concentration range with regard to the stimulation of WAP expression in HC11 cells.

High-level expression of the rat whey acidic protein gene is mediated by elements in the promoter and 3' untranslated region.

The high-level expression of the rat whey acidic protein (WAP) gene in transgenic mice depends on the interaction of 5'-flanking promoter sequences and intragenic sequences. Constructs containing 949 bp of promoter sequences and only 70 bp of 3'-flanking DNA were expressed at uniformly high levels, comparable to or higher than that of the endogenous gene. Although this WAP transgene was developmentally regulated, it was expressed earlier during pregnancy than was the endogenous WAP gene. Replacement of 3' sequences, including the WAP poly(A) addition site, with simian virus 40 late poly(A) sequences resulted in an approximately 20-fold reduction in the expression of WAP mRNA in the mammary gland during lactation. Nevertheless, position-independent expression of the transgene was still observed. Further deletion of 91 bp of conserved WAP 3' untranslated region (UTR) led to integration site-dependent expression. Position independence was restored following reinsertion of the WAP 3' UTR into the deleted construct at the same location, but only when the insertion was in the sense orientation. The marked differences observed between the expression levels of the 3'-end deletion constructs in transgenic mice were not seen in transfected CID 9 mammary epithelial cells. In these cells, expression of the endogenous WAP gene was dependent on the interaction of these cells with a complex extracellular matrix. In contrast, the transfected WAP constructs were not dependent on extracellular matrix for expression. Thus, both the abnormal expression of WAP in cells cultured on plastic and the precocious developmental expression of WAP in transgenic mice may reflect the absence of a negative control element(s) within these recombinant constructs.

High-level expression of the rat whey acidic protein gene is mediated by elements in the promoter and 3' untranslated region.

The high-level expression of the rat whey acidic protein (WAP) gene in transgenic mice depends on the interaction of 5'-flanking promoter sequences and intragenic sequences. Constructs containing 949 bp of promoter sequences and only 70 bp of 3'-flanking DNA were expressed at uniformly high levels, comparable to or higher than that of the endogenous gene. Although this WAP transgene was developmentally regulated, it was expressed earlier during pregnancy than was the endogenous WAP gene. Replacement of 3' sequences, including the WAP poly(A) addition site, with simian virus 40 late poly(A) sequences resulted in an approximately 20-fold reduction in the expression of WAP mRNA in the mammary gland during lactation. Nevertheless, position-independent expression of the transgene was still observed. Further deletion of 91 bp of conserved WAP 3' untranslated region (UTR) led to integration site-dependent expression. Position independence was restored following reinsertion of the WAP 3' UTR into the deleted construct at the same location, but only when the insertion was in the sense orientation. The marked differences observed between the expression levels of the 3'-end deletion constructs in transgenic mice were not seen in transfected CID 9 mammary epithelial cells. In these cells, expression of the endogenous WAP gene was dependent on the interaction of these cells with a complex extracellular matrix. In contrast, the transfected WAP constructs were not dependent on extracellular matrix for expression. Thus, both the abnormal expression of WAP in cells cultured on plastic and the precocious developmental expression of WAP in transgenic mice may reflect the absence of a negative control element(s) within these recombinant constructs.

Over-expression of an endogenous milk protein gene in transgenic mice is associated with impaired mammary alveolar development and a milchlos phenotype

The whey acidic protein (WAP) gene is expressed in mammary epithelial cells at late pregnancy and throughout lactation. We have generated transgenic mice in which a mouse WAP transgene is expressed precociously in pregnancy. From 13 founder mice bearing WAP transgenes, two female founders and the daughters from a male founder failed to lactate and nurture their offspring. We named this phenotype milchlos. Mammary tissue from postpartum milchlos mice was underdeveloped, contained too few alveoli and resembled the glands of non-transgenic mid-pregnant mice. The hypothesis that alveolar development in milchlos mice was functionally arrested in a prelactational state is consistent with low levels of α-lactalbumin mRNA, and an unidentified keratin RNA in mammary tissue from postpartum mice. Defects in alveolar function in milchlos mice were detected at mid-pregnancy; in non-transgenic mice, WAP was secreted into the alveolar lumen but remained preferentially in the cytoplasm of the alveolar epithelial cells in the milchlos mice. Since deregulated WAP expression resulted in impaired mammary development, it is possible that WAP plays a regulatory role in the terminal differentiation and development of mammary alveolar cells.

Production of the mouse whey acidic protein in transgenic pigs during lactation

The mouse whey acidic protein (WAP) gene was introduced into the genome of pigs and its expression was analyzed in the mammary gland. Mouse WAP was detected in milk of lactating females from five lines at levels between .5 and 1.5 g/liter, thereby representing as much as 2% of the total milk proteins. The corresponding mRNA was expressed in mammary tissue at levels similar to those of pig beta-lactoglobulin and beta-casein. The pattern of WAP secretion in three pigs over a period of 6 wk was quantitatively similar to that of pig beta-lactoglobulin. From the eight transgenic pigs analyzed, three successfully completed one lactational period, but five pigs stopped lactating a few days after parturition. Our results show that it is possible to produce large quantities of a foreign protein in milk of pigs over a full lactational period. However, expression of WAP can compromise the mammary gland and render it nonfunctional.

Expression of a whey acidic protein transgene during mammary development. Evidence for different mechanisms of regulation during pregnancy and lactation.

Expression of the mouse whey acidic protein (WAP) gene is specific to the mammary gland, is induced several thousand-fold during pregnancy, and is under the control of steroid and peptide hormones. To study developmental regulation of the mouse WAP gene, a 7.2-kilobase (kb) WAP transgene, including 2.6 kb of 5'- and 1.6 kb of 3'-flanking sequences, was introduced into mice. Of the 13 lines of mice examined, 6 expressed the transgenes during lactation at levels between 3 and 54% of the endogenous gene. Although expression was dependent on the site of integration, the transgenes within a given locus were expressed in a copy number-dependent manner and were coordinately regulated. The WAP transgenes were expressed specifically in the mammary gland, but showed a deregulated pattern of expression during mammary development. In all six lines of mice, induction of the WAP transgenes during pregnancy preceded that of the endogenous gene. During lactation, expression in two lines increased coordinately with the endogenous gene, and in three other lines of mice, transgene expression decreased to a basal level. These data indicate that the 7.2-kb gene contains some but not all of the elements necessary for correct developmental regulation. At a functional level it appears as if a repressor element, which inactivates the endogenous gene until late pregnancy, and an element necessary for induction during lactation are absent from the transgene. Complementary results from developmental and hormone induction studies suggest that WAP gene expression during pregnancy and lactation is mediated by different mechanisms.

A novel regulatory mechanism for whey acidic protein gene expression.

When primary mouse mammary epithelial cells (PMME) are cultured on a basement membrane type matrix, they undergo extensive morphogenesis leading to the formation of 3-dimensional alveoli-like spherical structures surrounding a closed lumen. We show for the first time that cells cultured on basement membrane-type matrix express high levels of whey acidic protein (WAP) mRNA and secrete the protein into the lumen. The expression of WAP appears to be dependent upon the formation of the alveoli-like spheres: prevention of sphere formation by fixation or drying of the matrix abolishes the expression of WAP. Co-culturing PMME on native and fixed basement membrane matrix indicates that the suppression of WAP expression is dominant, thereby revealing the existence of a diffusible inhibitor(s). The inhibitory activity is present in the conditioned medium of PMME cultured on plastic surface and floating collagen gels, substrata that do not form alveoli and do not allow WAP expression. These findings are consistent with the model that the synthesis, or the action, of the WAP inhibitory factor is regulated by the tissue-like multicellular organization of mammary cells. When PMME do not have correct 3-dimensional structures, one (or more) inhibitor is secreted into the medium which suppresses WAP expression by an autocrine or paracrine mechanism. Nuclear run-on experiments suggest that the suppression of WAP expression is posttranscriptional. These results have obvious bearings on the understanding of the mechanisms by which cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interaction regulate tissue specific gene expressions.