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Molecular and Cellular Biology, March 2006, p. 2309-2316, Vol. 26, No. 6
0270-7306/06/$08.00+0     doi:10.1128/MCB.26.6.2309-2316.2006
Copyright © 2006, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Murine Cathepsin F Deficiency Causes Neuronal Lipofuscinosis and Late-Onset Neurological Disease

Chi-Hui Tang,^1, Je-Wook Lee,^1,, Michael G. Galvez,¹ Liliane Robillard,¹ Sara E. Mole,² and Harold A. Chapman^1*

Department of Medicine and The Cardiovascular Research Institute, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143,¹ MRC Laboratory for Molecular Cell Biology and Department of Paediatrics and Child Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom²

Received 26 August 2005/ Returned for modification 19 October 2005/ Accepted 21 December 2005

Cathepsin F (cat F) is a widely expressed lysosomal cysteine protease whose in vivo role is unknown. To address this issue, mice deficient in cat F were generated via homologous recombination. Although cat F^–/– mice appeared healthy and reproduced normally, they developed progressive hind leg weakness and decline in motor coordination at 12 to 16 months of age, followed by significant weight loss and death within 6 months. cat F was found to be expressed throughout the central nervous system (CNS). cat F^–/– neurons accumulated eosinophilic granules that had features typical of lysosomal lipofuscin by electron microscopy. Large amounts of autofluorescent lipofuscin, characteristic of the neurodegenerative disease neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL), accumulated throughout the CNS but not in visceral organs, beginning as early as 6 weeks of age. Pronounced gliosis, an indicator of neuronal stress and neurodegeneration, was also apparent in older cat F^–/– mice. cat F is the only cysteine cathepsin whose inactivation alone causes a lysosomal storage defect and progressive neurological features in mice. The late onset suggests that this gene may be a candidate for adult-onset NCL.

Supplemental material for this article may be found at http://mcb.asm.org/.

C.-H.T. and J.-W.L. contributed equally to this study.

Present address: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, D1440, 44 Binney St., Boston, MA 02115.

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