Activation of Polyamine Catabolism Profoundly Alters Tissue Polyamine Pools and Affects Hair Growth and Female Fertility in Transgenic Mice Overexpressing Spermidine/Spermine N1-Acetyltransferase

In this study, researchers created a transgenic mouse line that overexpressed spermidine/spermine N^1-acetyltransferase, leading to significant alterations in tissue polyamine pools. These changes included the presence of N^1-acetylspermidine, an unusual accumulation of putrescine, and reduced levels of spermidine and spermine. The most notable phenotypic effect was permanent hair loss in mice aged 3 to 4 weeks, associated with the formation of follicular cysts in the dermis, likely due to putrescine's interference with hair follicle cell differentiation and proliferation. Additionally, female mice were infertile, linked to ovarian hypofunction and underdeveloped uteri. This research highlighted the potential of using spermidine/spermine N^1-acetyltransferase overexpression to manipulate polyamine levels in transgenic animals for studying developmental and cancer-related outcomes.