Smooth and cardiac muscle-selective knock-out of Kruppel-like factor 4 causes postnatal death and growth retardation.

ABSTRACT: Krüppel-like factor 4 (Klf4) is a transcription factor involved in differentiation and proliferation in multiple tissues. We demonstrated previously that tamoxifen-induced deletion of the Klf4 gene in mice accelerated neointimal formation but delayed down-regulation of smooth muscle cell differentiation markers in carotid arteries following injury. To further determine the role of Klf4 in the cardiovascular system, we herein derived mice deficient for the Klf4 gene in smooth and cardiac muscle using the SM22alpha promoter (SM22alpha-CreKI(+)/Klf4(loxP/loxP) mice). SM22alpha-CreKI(+)/Klf4(loxP/loxP) mice were born at the expected Mendelian ratio, but they gradually died after birth. Although approximately 40% of SM22alpha-CreKI(+)/Klf4(loxP/loxP) mice survived beyond postnatal day 28, they

SUBMITTER: Yoshida T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2898332 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature