Molecular pathophysiology of glucagon-SV40 T antigen transgenic mice.

The gene encoding proglucagon is expressed in the pancreas, intestine, and brain. The molecular determinants of proglucagon gene expression and the biological activities of the proglucagon-derived peptides (PGDPs) have been examined using transgenic mice harboring a glucagon-SV40 large T antigen (GLUTag) transgene. These experiments have delineated DNA sequences important for intestinal-specific proglucagon gene transcription. GLUTag mice develop neuroendocrine tumors of the pancreas and large bowel, leading to elevated plasma levels of the PGDPs and suppression of endogenous proglucagon gene expression. Transplantation of the large bowel tumors subcutaneously into nude mice provides additional evidence for inhibition of endogenous pancreatic proglucagon gene expression by one or more of the tumor-derived PGDPs. The large bowel GLUTag tumors exhibit abnormalities in the posttranslational processing of proglucagon. GLUTag tumors may be passaged in vivo and in vitro and have been used to generate stable cell lines that express the proglucagon gene at high levels. Taken together, these studies highlight the utility of transgenic systems for the physiological analysis of hormone action and the molecular determinants of peptide hormone gene expression.