Immunological function in mice lacking the Rac-related GTPase RhoG

E Vigorito, S Bell, BJ Hebeis, H Reynolds… - … and Cellular Biology, 2004 - Taylor & Francis
E Vigorito, S Bell, BJ Hebeis, H Reynolds, S McAdam, PC Emson, A McKenzie, M Turner
Molecular and Cellular Biology, 2004Taylor & Francis
RhoG is a low-molecular-weight GTPase highly expressed in lymphocytes that activates
gene transcription and promotes cytoskeletal reorganization in vitro. To study the in vivo
function of RhoG, we generated mice homozygous for a targeted disruption of the RhoG
gene. Despite the absence of RhoG, the development of B and T lymphocytes was
unaffected. However, there was an increase in the level of serum immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1)
and IgG2b as well as a mild increase of the humoral immune response to thymus-dependent …
RhoG is a low-molecular-weight GTPase highly expressed in lymphocytes that activates gene transcription and promotes cytoskeletal reorganization in vitro. To study the in vivo function of RhoG, we generated mice homozygous for a targeted disruption of the RhoG gene. Despite the absence of RhoG, the development of B and T lymphocytes was unaffected. However, there was an increase in the level of serum immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) and IgG2b as well as a mild increase of the humoral immune response to thymus-dependent antigens. In addition, B- and T-cell proliferation in response to antigen receptor cross-linking was slightly increased. Although RhoG deficiency produces a mild phenotype, our experiments suggest that RhoG may contribute to the negative regulation of immune responses. The lack of a strong phenotype could indicate a functional redundancy of RhoG with other Rac proteins in lymphocytes.
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