Tissue-specific deletion of manganese superoxide dismutase in mice

Abstract

Manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) is a mitochondrial antioxidant enzyme that converts toxic O2•- to H2O2. Previous studies have reported a systemic deficiency in Mn-SOD to cause neonatal lethality in mice. Therefore, no mouse model is available to analyze the pathological role of O2•- injuries in adult tissues. To explore an adult-type mouse model, we generated tissue-specific Mn-SOD conditional knockout mice using a Cre-loxP system. We herein describe these tissue-specific Mn-SOD-deficient mice. The mice showed pathological phenotypes in various tissues, such as the liver, heart, skeletal muscle, brain, kidneys, stomach, and T cells. Therefore, our tissue-specific Mn-SOD conditional knockout mice are considered to be a useful experimental animal for the analysis of various oxidative stress-associated diseases.