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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Feb 29.
Published in final edited form as: Adv Immunol. 2015 Feb 7;126:45–127. doi: 10.1016/bs.ai.2014.11.002

Table 2.

Genetic deletion of mast cell (MC)-associated products

Mutant mice Gene name Phenotype and/or limitations References
Hdc−/− Histidine decarboxylase No histamine produced (mice should be maintained on a histamine free diet, since histamine can also be acquired through ingestion) Decreased MC numbers Altered storage of various proteases in MC cytoplasmic granules Histamine can also be produced by other cell types, including some other hematopoietic cells such as basophils or neutrophils Ohtsu et al. (2001) and Wiener et al. (2001)
Mcpt1−/− MC protease 1 Markedly reduced esterase activity in intestinal mucosal MCs Histochemical and ultrastructural changes in cytoplasmic granules of mucosal MCs Wastling et al. (1998)
Mcpt4−/− MC protease 4 (chymase) Does not affect the number or morphology of MCs in multiple anatomical sites tested Increased tryptase activity in peritoneal MCs Abolished chymotrypsin-like activity in connective tissue-type MCs Tchougounova, Pejler, and Abrink (2003) and Younan et al. (2010)
Mcpt5−/− MC protease 5 Markedly reduced storage of CPA3 and CPA activity in peritoneal MCs Increased tryptase activity in peritoneal MCs Decreased chymase activity in peritoneal MCs Abonia et al. (2005), Stevens et al. (1996), and Younan et al. (2010)
Mcpt6−/− MC protease 6 Does not affect the number or morphology of MCs in multiple anatomical sites tested Does not affect histamine and mMCP-4 levels in peritoneal MCs Shin et al. (2008) and Thakurdas et al. (2007)
Mcpt7−/− (=C57BL/6) MC protease 7 C57BL/6 mice are unable to express mMCP-7 because of a point mutation in the exon/intron 2 splice of the Mcpt7 gene Does not affect the expression of mMCP-6 Does not affect the number or morphology of MCs in multiple anatomical sites tested Hunt et al. (1996)
Cpa3−/− Carboxypeptidase A3 Markedly reduced storage of mMCP-5 in MC cytoplasmic granules Reduced staining of cytoplasmic granules Feyerabend et al. (2005)
Mcpt4−/−Mcpt6−/−Cpa3−/− MC proteases 4, 6 and carboxypeptidase A3 Markedly reduced storage of mMCP-5 in MC cytoplasmic granules Reduced staining and proteoglycan content of cytoplasmic granules Grujic et al. (2013)
Cpa3Y356L, E378A Carboxypeptidase A3 Inactive CPA3 due to two point mutations in the catalytic domain Does not affect storage of mMCP-5 in MC cytoplasmic granules Akahoshi et al. (2011) and Schneider et al. (2007)
Ndst-2−/− N-deacetylase/N-sulfotransferase-2 MCs are unable to synthesize heparin MCs are unable to store histamine Decreased numbers of connective tissue-type MCs Reduced storage of proteases (mMCP-4, mMCP-5, mMCP-6, CPA3) in MC cytoplasmic granules Forsberg et al. (1999) and Humphries et al. (1999)
Srgn−/− Serglycin MCs are unable to store histamine and serotonin Reduced storage of proteases (mMCP-4, mMCP-5, mMCP-6, CPA3) in MC cytoplasmic granules Åbrink, Grujic, and Pejler (2004) and Braga et al. (2007)
Prss31−/− Protease serine member S31/transmembrane tryptase/tryptase γ MCs lack transmembrane tryptase Does not affect the number or morphology of peritoneal or ear skin MCs Normal expression of mMCP-4, mMCP-5, and mMCP-6 Hansbro et al. (2014)

This is an updated version of Table 2 from Reber et al. (2012).