Intra-amniotic transient transduction of the periderm with a viral vector encoding TGF?3 prevents cleft palate in Tgf?3(-/-) mouse embryos.

ABSTRACT: Cleft palate is a developmental defect resulting from the failure of embryonic palatal shelves to fuse with each other at a critical time. Immediately before and during palatal fusion (E13-E15 in mice), transforming growth factor ?3 (TGF?3) is expressed in the palatal shelf medial edge epithelium (MEE) and plays a pivotal role in palatal fusion. Using Tgf?3(-/-) mice, which display complete penetrance of the cleft palate phenotype, we tested the hypothesis that intra-amniotic gene transfer could be used to prevent cleft palate formation by restoring palatal midline epithelial function. An adenoviral vector encoding Tgf?3 was microinjected into the amniotic sacs of mouse embryos at successive developmental stages. Transduced Tgf?3(-/-) fetuses showed efficient recovery of palatal fusion with mesenchymal confluence following injection at E12.5 (100%), E13.5 (100%), E14.5 (82%), and E15.5 (75%). Viral vectors injected into the amniotic sac transduced the most superficial and transient peridermal cell layer but not underlying basal epithelial cells. TGF?3 transduction of the peridermdal cell layer was sufficient to induce adhesion, fusion, and disappearance of the palatal shelf MEE in a cell nonautonomous manner. We propose that intra-amniotic gene transfer approaches have therapeutic potential to prevent cleft palate in utero, especially those resulting from palatal midline epithelial dysfunction.

SUBMITTER: Wu C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3538297 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature