These transgenic mice express the mouse Abca1 (ATP-binding cassette, sub-family A (ABC1), member 1) gene under the control of the mouse Prnp (prion protein) promoter.
These founder line E mice have a 6-fold increase in expression of ABCA1 in the cortex over wild-type levels. Trangene expression is high in total brain tissue, kidney, testis and muscle as detected by Western blot analysis. Transgenic mice exhibit reduced apoE levels: 40% of wild-type levels in the hippocampus, approximately half of wild-type levels in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). The apoE protein that is overexpressed has altered biochemical properties and is not as soluble as that found in controls. Lipoprotein particles from the CSF that contain apoE protein are larger in size than wild-type, indicating that the transgenic apoE particles are more lipidated.
Male transgenic mice have atropied testes, defective spermatogenesis and are infertile. The strain can be maintained by mating hemizygous females to wild-type males.
These mice may be useful in studies of the underlying mechanism of amyloid deposition in the brain and Alzheimers disease.
