Studies of physiological function of cauxin, a major urinary protein, by development of cauxin-knocking out cats

• Project/Area Number: 25292191
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Integrative animal science
• Research Institution: Iwate University
• Principal Investigator: Yamashtia Tetsuro 岩手大学, 農学部, 教授 (20202377)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): MIYAZAKI MASAO 岩手大学, 農学部, 准教授 (20392144) ; KATAYAMA MASAAKI 岩手大学, 農学部, 准教授 (70436054) ; SAWAI KEN 岩手大学, 農学部, 教授 (90390864)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Project Status: Completed (Fiscal Year 2015)
• Budget Amount: ¥19,370,000 (Direct Cost: ¥14,900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥4,470,000); Fiscal Year 2015: ¥6,110,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,410,000); Fiscal Year 2014: ¥6,110,000 (Direct Cost: ¥4,700,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,410,000); Fiscal Year 2013: ¥7,150,000 (Direct Cost: ¥5,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,650,000)
• Keywords: 遺伝子改変動物 / 酵素 / 尿タンパク質

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The domestic cat excretes cauxin with carboxylesterase activity as a major urinary protein. Our previous studies demonstrated that cauxin hydrolyzes 3-methylbutanol-cysteinylglycine and produces glycine and felinine, a cat-specific amino acid. However little is known whether cauxin has functions other than peptidase in the urine. In this study, we aimed to produce cauxin-knocking our cats to examine the functions of cauxin in cats.
We used transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALEN) that are restriction enzymes to cut specific sequences of cauxin exon 1 and 2. Our analysis indicated that TALENs targeting exon 2 could destroy the cauxin gene in cat kidney cultured cells. On the other hand, we also found that felinine metabolites are excreted into the urine of humans, mice, and dogs that excrete no cauxin. The results suggest that cauxin excretion is necessary to excrete free felinine that is decomposed to volatile compounds for scent communication.

Research Products

• [Journal Article] Kite shield-shaped wedge recession for the surgical treatment of medial patellar luxation in seven small-breed dogs. (2016)
  • Author(s): Katayama, M., Ogaya, H., Shimamura, S., and Uzuka, Y.
  • Journal Title: Vet. Surg. Volume: 45 Issue: 1 Pages: 66-70
  • DOI: 10.1111/vsu.12422
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Relationship of glomerular filtration rate based on serum iodixanol clearance to IRIS staging in cats with chronic kidney disease (2015)
  • Author(s): 2.Iwama, R., Sato, T., Katayama, M., Shimamura, S., Satoh, H., Ichijo, T., and Furuhama, K.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Veterinary Medical Science Volume: 77 Issue: 8 Pages: 1033-1035
  • DOI: 10.1292/jvms.14-0494
  • NAID: 130005094667
  • ISSN: 0916-7250, 1347-7439
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Journal Article] Effects of downregulating GLIS1 transcript on preimplantation development and gene expression of bovine embryos (2015)
  • Author(s): 3.Takahashi, K., Sakurai, N., Emura, N., Hashizume, T. and Sawai, K.
  • Journal Title: Journal of Reproduction and Development Volume: 61 Issue: 5 Pages: 369-374
  • DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2015-029
  • NAID: 130005104112
  • ISSN: 0916-8818, 1348-4400
  • Peer Reviewed
• [Presentation] 過剰なコレステロール生合成を抑制する新規代謝経路の解明 (2015)
  • Author(s): 弗田彩心、北條渉、宮崎珠子、土谷和平、木村賢一、山下哲郎、宮崎雅雄
  • Organizer: 第38回分子生物学会年会・第88回生化学会大会合同大会
  • Place of Presentation: 神戸国際展示場
  • Year and Date: 2015-12-01
• [Presentation] 完全肉食動物への進化で獲得したネコ特有なケミカルシグナルの生合成機構 (2015)
  • Author(s): 宮崎雅雄
  • Organizer: 新学術領域研究「天然物ケミカルバイオロジー」地区ミニシンポジウム
  • Place of Presentation: 名古屋大学
  • Year and Date: 2015-05-14
  • Invited