Characterization of Mice Lacking the Tetraspanin Superfamily Member CD151

Abstract

The tetraspanin membrane protein CD151 is a broadly expressed molecule noted for its strong molecular associations with integrins, especially α3β1, α6β1, α7β1, and α6β4. In vitro functional studies have pointed to a role for CD151 in cell-cell adhesion, cell migration, platelet aggregation, and angiogenesis. It has also been implicated in epithelial tumor progression and metastasis. Here we describe the generation and initial characterization of CD151-null mice. The mice are viable, healthy, and fertile and show normal Mendelian inheritance. They have essentially normal blood and bone marrow cell counts and grossly normal tissue morphology, including hemidesmosomes in skin, and expression of α3 and α6 integrins. However, the CD151-null mice do show phenotypes in several different tissue types. An absence of CD151 leads to a minor abnormality in hemostasis, with CD151-null mice showing longer average bleeding times, greater average blood loss, and an increased incidence of rebleeding occurrences. CD151-null keratinocytes migrate poorly in skin explant cultures. Finally, CD151-null T lymphocytes are hyperproliferative in response to in vitro mitogenic stimulation.

This work was supported by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) and the National Heart Foundation and by infrastructure funding from NSW Health through the Hunter Medical Research Institute. L.K.A. is an NHMRC Principal Research Fellow and Brawn Professorial Fellow of the University of Newcastle, Australia. D.E.J. is an NHMRC Senior Research Fellow, and V.A. is an NHMRC R. D. Wright Fellow.

We thank Annemiek van Spriel for helpful discussions; Sandra Isenmann, Laleh Khalilazar, Kate Gartlan, and Mariam Sofi for technical assistance; Amanda Harman and Debbie Pepperall, University of Newcastle, for assistance with mouse perfusion and skin histology; and Fedor Berditchevski and Scott Todd for the gift of antibodies. Special thanks go to Rob Parton and Charles Ferguson, Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis, University of Queensland, Australia, for electron microscopy on skin and to John Bertram, Monash University, Melbourne, for advice on preparation of kidney specimens.