Caveolin-1 null (-/-) mice show dramatic reductions in life span.

Authors: Park DS; Cohen AW; Frank PG; Razani B; Lee H; Williams TM; Chandra M; Shirani J; De Souza AP; Tang B; Jelicks LA; Factor SM; Weiss LM; Tanowitz HB; Lisanti MP

Abstract: Caveolae are 50-100 nm flask-shaped invaginations of the plasma membrane found in most cell types. Caveolin-1 is the principal protein component of caveolae membranes in nonmuscle cells. The recent development of Cav-1-deficient mice has allowed investigators to study the in vivo functional role of caveolae in the context of a whole animal model, as these mice lack morphologically detectable caveolae membrane domains. Surprisingly, Cav-1 null mice are both viable and fertile. However, it remains unknown whether loss of caveolin-1 significantly affects the overall life span of these animals. To quantitatively determine whether loss of Cav-1 gene expression confers any survival disadvantages with increasing age, we generated a large cohort of mice (n = 180), consisting of Cav-1 wild-type (+/+) (n = 53), Cav-1 heterozygous (+/-) (n = 70), and Cav-1 knockout (-/-) (n = 57) animals, and monitored their long-term survival over a 2 year period. Here, we show that Cav-1 null (-/-) mice exhibit an approximately 50% reduction in life span, with major declines in viability occurring between 27 and 65 weeks of age. However, Cav-1 heterozygous (+/-) mice did not show any changes in long-term survival, indicating that loss of both Cav-1 alleles is required to mediate a reduction in life span. Mechanistically, these dramatic reductions in life span appear to be secondary to a combination of pulmonary fibrosis, pulmonary hypertension, and cardiac hypertrophy in Cav-1 null mice. Taken together, our results provide the first demonstration that loss of Cav-1 gene expression and caveolae organelles dramatically affects the long-term survival of an organism. In addition, aged Cav-1 null mice may provide a new animal model to study the pathogenesis and treatment of progressive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and sudden cardiac death syndrome.

Keywords: Aging/*genetics/pathology; Animals; Cardiomegaly/genetics/pathology; Cardiomyopathy, Dilated/genetics/pathology; Caveolin 1; Caveolins/biosynthesis/*deficiency/*genetics; Disease Models, Animal; Female; Hypertension, Pulmonary/genetics/pathology; Longevity/*genetics; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Mice, Knockout; Myocardium/pathology; Myocytes, Cardiac/metabolism/pathology; Pulmonary Fibrosis/genetics/pathology; Survival Analysis
Journal: Biochemistry
Volume: 42
Issue: 51
Pages: 15124-31
Date: Dec. 24, 2003
PMID: 14690422
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Citation:

Park DS, Cohen AW, Frank PG, Razani B, Lee H, Williams TM, Chandra M, Shirani J, De Souza AP, Tang B, Jelicks LA, Factor SM, Weiss LM, Tanowitz HB, Lisanti MP (2003) Caveolin-1 null (-/-) mice show dramatic reductions in life span. Biochemistry 42: 15124-31.


Study Lifespan Factors:
  • Cav1 caveolin, caveolae protein 1


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