HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 33/1/133    most recent 00260.2007v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Google Scholar Articles by MacLean, H. E. Articles by Zajac, J. D. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by MacLean, H. E. Articles by Zajac, J. D.

Report

A floxed allele of the androgen receptor gene causes hyperandrogenization in male mice

¹ Department of Medicine, University of Melbourne, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia
² Department of Anatomical Pathology, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia

ABSTRACT

We previously generated a conditional floxed mouse line to study androgen action, in which exon 3 of the androgen receptor (AR) gene is flanked by loxP sites, with the neomycin resistance gene present in intron 3. Deletion of exon 3 in global AR knockout mice causes androgen insensitivity syndrome, characterized by genotypic males lacking normal masculinization. We now report that male mice carrying the floxed allele (AR^lox) have the reverse phenotype, termed hyperandrogenization. AR^lox mice have increased mass of androgen-dependent tissues, including kidney, (P < 0.001), seminal vesicle (P < 0.001), levator ani muscle (P = 0.001), and heart (P < 0.05). Serum testosterone is not significantly different. Testis mass is normal, histology shows normal spermatogenesis, and AR^lox males are fertile. AR^lox males also have normal AR mRNA levels in kidney, brain, levator ani, liver, and testis. This study reaffirms the need to investigate the potential phenotypic effects of floxed alleles in the absence of cre in tissue-specific knockout studies. In addition, this androgen hypersensitivity model may be useful to further investigate the effects of subtle perturbations of androgen action in a range of androgen-responsive systems in the male.

androgen; testosterone; cre/lox; hypomorphic allele; androgen insensitivity

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. E. MacLean, W. S. M. Chiu, A. J. Notini, A.-M. Axell, R. A. Davey, J. F. McManus, C. Ma, D. R. Plant, G. S. Lynch, and J. D. Zajac Impaired skeletal muscle development and function in male, but not female, genomic androgen receptor knockout mice FASEB J, August 1, 2008; 22(8): 2676 - 2689. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]