Transgenic amphibian models for lymphatic vessel development

• US 20070107072A1
• Filed: 11/08/2004
• Published: 05/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: D. Collen Research Foundation VZW, VIB VZW
• Original Assignee: D. Collen Research Foundation VZW, VIB VZW
• Inventors: Carmeliet, Peter
• Application Number:
  US10/578,485
• Publication Number:
  US 20070107072A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 800/14
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 2217/05 Animals comprising random inserted nucleic acids (transgenic)
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 2227/50 Amphibians, e.g. Xenopus
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 2267/0375 Animal model for cardiovascular diseases
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 2267/0393 Animal model comprising a reporter system for screening tests
• CPC Class Codes: A01K 67/0275 Genetically modified vertebrates, e.g. transgenic
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 49/0008 Screening agents using (non-human) animal models or transgenic animal models or chimeric hosts, e.g. Alzheimer disease animal model, transgenic model for heart failure
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/8509 for producing genetically modified animals, e.g. transgenic
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 2830/008 cell type or tissue specific enhancer/promoter combination

Abstract

The present invention provides molecular tools for the visualization of the lymphatic vessel system in amphibian. Furthermore, the invention provides assays that allow screening for compounds able to modulate lymphangiogenesis.

Claims

1. A transgenic Xenopus comprising a gene that is specifically expressed in the lymphatic vessel system of said Xenopus.

2. A transgenic Xenopus according to claim 1 wherein said gene encodes for a reporter gene or a biologically relevant transgene.

3. A method to produce a transgenic Xenopus according to claims 1-2 comprising introducing a vector comprising a gene under control of a promoter specifically expressed in the lymphatic vascular system into cells of Xenopus.

4. A method according to claim 3 wherein said promoter is selected from the list comprising Podoplanin promoter, Prox-1 promoter, VEGFR-3 promoter and LYVE-1 promoter.

6. Use of a transgenic Xenopus according to claims 1-2 to identify a compound capable of modulating lymphatic vessel development comprising:

a) contacting said transgenic Xenopus with a test compound,

b) comparing the lymphatic vessel system in said transgenic Xenopus contacted with said test compound with the lymphatic vessel system of a transgenic Xenopus that was not contacted with said test compound and,

c) determining the effect of said test compound on lymphatic vessel development, such that if lymphatic vessel development in the transgenic Xenopus contacted with said test compound is different from the lymphatic vessel development in the transgenic Xenopus that was not contacted with said test compound, said compound is a modulator of the lymphatic vessel system.

5. A method for visualizing the lymphatic vessel system in Xenopus comprising generating a transgenic Xenopus comprising a reporter gene that is specifically expressed in the lymphatic vessel system.