Stom-KO Mouse

Stom, also known as stomatin, is a 31-kDa integral membrane protein. It belongs to the stomatin-domain protein family, which is ubiquitously present in all classes of life. Stom has been implicated in the regulation of ion transport, as in some cases of hereditary stomatocytosis where it is absent and red cells leak sodium and potassium ions [1]. Members of the stomatin-domain family are often oligomeric, localize to membrane domains, and modulate ion channel activity, suggesting Stom may have similar functions [2].

In a study on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), it was found that lipid-induced DRAM recruits STOM to lysosomes and induces lysosomal membrane permeabilization (LMP) to promote exosome release from hepatocytes. Knockout or knockdown of DRAM in a mouse model and cell model respectively down-regulated exosome secretion, indicating STOM's role in this process [3]. In breast cancer, STOM is highly expressed in tumor-derived mesenchymal progenitor cells (MPCs). Overexpression of STOM in MPCs mediated their slow proliferation but promoted the proliferation of breast cancer cells, suggesting its significance in breast cancer-related microenvironment regulation [4]. In sepsis-induced acute lung injury, STOM expression was upregulated in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-treated mouse lung epithelial cells (MLE-12). Knockdown of STOM reversed the inhibitory effects of LPS on cell viability and the promoting effects on oxidative stress and inflammation, and this was alleviated by overexpression of CD36, indicating STOM may interact with CD36 to affect these processes [5].

In conclusion, Stom plays diverse and important roles in biological processes such as ion transport, exosome secretion, and cell proliferation in relation to diseases like NAFLD, breast cancer, and sepsis-induced acute lung injury. Research using knockout or knockdown models in mice and cell lines has been crucial in uncovering these functions, providing insights into the underlying molecular mechanisms and potential therapeutic targets for these diseases.