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Phenotypic characterization of Bbs4 null mice reveals age-dependent penetrance and variable expressivity

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Abstract

Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS) is a rare oligogenic disorder exhibiting both clinical and genetic heterogeneity. Although the BBS phenotype is variable both between and within families, the syndrome is characterized by the hallmarks of developmental and learning difficulties, post-axial polydactylia, obesity, hypogenitalism, renal abnormalities, retinal dystrophy, and several less frequently observed features. Eleven genes mutated in BBS patients have been identified, and more are expected to exist, since about 20–30% of all families cannot be explained by the known loci. To investigate the etiopathogenesis of BBS, we created a mouse null for one of the murine homologues, Bbs4, to assess the contribution of one gene to the pleiotropic murine Bbs phenotype. Bbs4 null mice, although initially runted compared to their littermates, ultimately become obese in a gender-dependent manner, females earlier and with more severity than males. Blood chemistry tests indicated abnormal lipid profiles, signs of liver dysfunction, and elevated insulin and leptin levels reminiscent of metabolic syndrome. As in patients with BBS, we found age-dependent retinal dystrophy. Behavioral assessment revealed that mutant mice displayed more anxiety-related responses and reduced social dominance. We noted the rare occurrence of birth defects, including neural tube defects and hydrometrocolpos, in the null mice. Evaluations of these null mice have uncovered phenotypic features with age-dependent penetrance and variable expressivity, partially recapitulating the human BBS phenotype.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Isabel Lorenzo from the Darwin Transgenic Mouse Core Facility at Baylor College of Medicine for blastocyst injections and chimera production. At the Comparative Pathology Laboratory at Baylor College of Medicine we recognize Dr. Roger E. Price, Roxane Walden, and Vida Hortenstein for their aid with pathology, histology, and serum chemistry analysis, respectively. Additionally, we appreciate the statistical assistance of E. O’Brien Smith. ERE was supported in part by a National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching in Education Fellowship funded by grant number DGE-0086397. This work was also supported by the Baylor College of Medicine MRRDDRC Neurobehavioral and Administrative Core Facilities, a March of Dimes grant to NK and JRL, and Public Health Service grant U01 HD 39372 to MJJ. RAL is a Senior Scientific Investigator of Research to Prevent Blindness, New York. SMW would like to acknowledge the following funding sources: NIH EY0446 and EY02520, Retina Research Foundation (Houston), and International Retina Research Foundation Inc. PLB is a Wellcome Trust Senior Research Fellow. This research was also funded by grants R01 HD42601, R01 DK072301, and R01 EY016859 to NK.

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Eichers, E.R., Abd-El-Barr, M.M., Paylor, R. et al. Phenotypic characterization of Bbs4 null mice reveals age-dependent penetrance and variable expressivity. Hum Genet 120, 211–226 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00439-006-0197-y

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