Genetic Control of Autoimmune Exocrinopathy in NOD Mice

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Sjogren's syndrome, an autoimmune disease that is one of the leading causes of salivary gland inflammation and dysfunction, leads to severe dryness of the oral cavity. Dry mouth is thought to result from a genetic predisposition that, in association with environmental stimuli, results in a chronic immune attack against specific (auto)-antigens expressed in salivary gland tissue. Although HLA inheritance has been recognized as an important risk factor for most autoimmune diseases, as yet no HLA genotype has been identified as being associated with an increased risk for developing Sjogren's syndrome. Non-HLA genes also appear to contribute to the genetic predisposition in humans, but identification of non-HLA genes only complicates5ability to understand the genetic basis of Sjogren's syndrome. Animal models of autoimmune disease provide an excellent resource for identifying genetic pathways responsible for underlying pathogenesis. We have popularized the NOD mouse as a model for Sjogren's syndrome as this mouse develops progressive lymphocytic infiltration, cytokine and autoantibody production in the exocrine glands concomitant with decreased exocrine gland secretions. Using the multiple congenic strains of NOD now available, two NOD-derived loci, designated Aec1 and Aec2 (autoimmune exocrinopathy genetic regions 1 and 2) containing insulin dependent diabetic loci Idd3 on chromosome 3 and Idd5 on chromosome 1, respectively, have been identified. These two intervals appear to act in an additive and hierarchical manner to control the epithelial cell pathology, subsequent accumulation of lymphocytic infiltrates, and the eventual loss of secretory function of the salivary (and lachrymal) glands in the NOD mouse. We have successfully developed the C57BL/6.NOD- Aecl Aec2 mouse which recapitulates the complete disease phenotype observed in the parental NOD mouse. To further map the chromosomal intervals, we propose to generate recombinant inbred (RI) strains of the C57BL/6.NOD- Aecl Aec2 mouse. For Specific Aim t, aset of RI strains of C57BL/6.NOD- Aecl Aec2 mice will be generated to fine-map the Aecf and Aec2 genetic regions to identify specific intervals associated with the development of autoimmune exocrinopathy in the NOD mouse. For Specific Aim 2, cDNA microarray technology will be used to identify candidate genes within these intervals responsible for immune and non-immune components resulting in autoimmune exocrinopathy by comparing expression levels of transcripts from disease-susceptible versus non-susceptible RI mice. Results from these studies will provide insight into the genetic mechanism(s) underlying the pathogenesis of Sjogren's syndrome important to the long-term goal of developing targeted preventive or ready intervention strategies.