Original scientific paper
Expression Pattern and Functional Analysis of Mouse Stam2 in the Olfactory System
Vesna Furić Čunko
Dinko Mitrečić
Sandra Mavrić
Srećko Gajović
Abstract
Gene trap mutant mice Stamgt1Gaj were investigated in order to elucidate in vivo function of Stam2 (signal transducing
adaptor molecule 2) gene, which was in vitro implicated in sorting cargo marked by monoubiquitination toward degradation
in the lysosomes. The expression analysis showed high Stam2 expression in the brain including the regions related
to olfaction, and in the olfactory epithelium, but not in the respiratory part of nasal mucosa. To test mouse olfaction,
ability to find chocolate hidden under the sawdust in the cage was examined. When food was given ad libitum before trials,
mutants needed more time and failed more frequently to find the chocolate. In contrast, when the mice were fasted
overnight before trial, there were no differences between mutants and wild type mice. No changes in morphology of olfactory
mucosa were observed. The obtained results showed the existence of phenotype differences between mutants and wild
type mice. However, different results of two approaches aimed to test olfaction, with and without food deprivation, currently
do not enable to assign the particular function of Stam2 to olfaction. This emphasizes how slight modification of
experimental setup in behavioural testing can couse important differences on the obtained results.
Keywords
Stam2; olfactory test; olfactory mucosa; X-gal staining; mouse
Hrčak ID:
24554
URI
Publication date:
13.5.2008.
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