Conditional deletion of the MHC class I-related receptor FcRn reveals the sites of IgG homeostasis in mice

HP Montoyo, C Vaccaro, M Hafner… - Proceedings of the …, 2009 - National Acad Sciences
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2009National Acad Sciences
The MHC class I-related receptor FcRn regulates the levels and persistence of IgG in vivo.
This receptor salvages IgG from lysosomal degradation within cells, and the binding
properties of an IgG for FcRn correlate with in vivo half-life. FcRn is expressed at multiple
different sites throughout adult life. However, the cell types and sites at which FcRn
maintains IgG homeostasis are not well defined. Toward understanding the sites of FcRn
function, we have generated a mouse strain in which this Fc receptor can be conditionally …
The MHC class I-related receptor FcRn regulates the levels and persistence of IgG in vivo. This receptor salvages IgG from lysosomal degradation within cells, and the binding properties of an IgG for FcRn correlate with in vivo half-life. FcRn is expressed at multiple different sites throughout adult life. However, the cell types and sites at which FcRn maintains IgG homeostasis are not well defined. Toward understanding the sites of FcRn function, we have generated a mouse strain in which this Fc receptor can be conditionally deleted. In combination with mice that express Cre recombinase under the control of the Tie2 promoter (Tie2-Cre), the effect of site-specific deletion of floxed FcRn in endothelial and hematopoietic cells on IgG persistence was analyzed. The pharmacokinetics and steady-state levels of IgG in Tie2-Cre mice that are homozygous for the floxed FcRn allele reveal a complete loss of FcRn function in regulating the half-lives of wild-type IgG. The primary sites for the maintenance of endogenous IgGs in mice are therefore endothelial and hematopoietic cells.
National Acad Sciences