Correction: SEC24A deficiency lowers plasma cholesterol through reduced PCSK9 secretion

Chen X-W, Wang H, Bajaj K, Zhang P, Meng Z-X, Ma D, Bai Y, Liu H-H, Adams E, Baines A, Yu G, Sartor MA, Zhang B, Yi Z, Lin J, Young SG, Schekman R, Ginsburg D. 2013. SEC24A deficiency lowers plasma cholesterol through reduced PCSK9 secretion. eLife 2:e00444. doi: 10.7554/eLife.00444.

Published 9 April 2013

We have been made aware through a notification from PubPeer that, in the above publication, the lung image in Figure 1 (the lower right section of panel F) appears to be a duplicate of an image in an earlier publication from our research group (lower right panel from Figure 5 in Thrombosis Research, 123:785–792, 2009, PMID: 18774162). The lung histologies in both animals (a wild-type control mouse in the 2009 paper and a Sec24a^gt/gt mouse in the 2013 eLife paper) were entirely normal, as determined by the expert pathologist who extensively reviewed the tissues in both animals, prepared both figures, and is a co-author on both papers. We have concluded that the error likely occurred during preparation of the eLife figure, at which time the earlier image of normal lung histology was accidentally inserted in place of an image of similar normal lung histology from the Sec24a^gt/gt mouse. We sincerely apologize for this error.

To correct this error in the eLife manuscript, panel F from Figure 1 has been removed, and the description of panel F in the Figure 1 legend has also been removed. Also, the text in the second paragraph of Results has been modified as follows:

Corrected text:

Gross and routine microscopic survey of multiple tissues failed to identify any obvious morphologic abnormalities in adult Sec24a^gt/gt mice.

Original text:

Gross and routine microscopic survey of multiple tissues failed to identify any obvious morphologic abnormalities in adult Sec24a^gt/gt mice (Figure 1F).

The corrected Figure 1 (with Panel F removed) is shown here:

Corrected Figure 1 legend text:

Figure 1. SEC24A null mice are viable and exhibit normal survival and development. (A) Schematic of the first Sec24a mutant allele (Sec24agt). Gray blocks represent exons with specific numbers indicated. SA, splice acceptor cassette; β-Geo, β-galactosidase-neo fusion; pA, poly-adenylation sequence. F, R, and V represent genotyping primers. Bottom, sequence of Sec24agt gene trap insertion junction; sequence of the gene trap cassette is underlined. (B) RT-PCR detection of splicing between exons 2 and 3 in Sec24agt/gt mice. Liver cDNA of wild type mice was serially diluted into liver cDNA of Sec24agt/gt mice as indicated and used as template for PCR with primers Sec24a-Exon2 and Sec24a-Exon3 (see primer sequences). (C) Loss of SEC24A protein in Sec24agt/gt mice. Upper panel, PCR genotyping; lower panel, immunoblotting of brain protein extracts from mice with the genotypes indicated at the top, using the indicated SEC24A-D antibodies. (D) Body weights of SEC24A-deficient and wild type control mice. HF, high fat diet. Error bars represent SEM (standard error of the mean). At least six mice were included in each group at each time point. (E) Kaplan Meier plot for survival of SEC24A-deficient mice (n=20) and littermate controls (n=15).

The originally published Figure 1 is shown for reference:

Original Figure 1 legend text:

Figure 1. SEC24A null mice are viable and exhibit normal survival and development. (A) Schematic of the first Sec24a mutant allele (Sec24agt). Gray blocks represent exons with specific numbers indicated. SA, splice acceptor cassette; β-Geo, β-galactosidase-neo fusion; pA, poly-adenylation sequence. F, R, and V represent genotyping primers. Bottom, sequence of Sec24agt gene trap insertion junction; sequence of the gene trap cassette is underlined. (B) RT-PCR detection of splicing between exons 2 and 3 in Sec24agt/gt mice. Liver cDNA of wild type mice was serially diluted into liver cDNA of Sec24agt/gt mice as indicated and used as template for PCR with primers Sec24a-Exon2 and Sec24a-Exon3 (see primer sequences). (C) Loss of SEC24A protein in Sec24agt/gt mice. Upper panel, PCR genotyping; lower panel, immunoblotting of brain protein extracts from mice with the genotypes indicated at the top, using the indicated SEC24A-D antibodies. (D) Body weights of SEC24A-deficient and wild type control mice. HF, high fat diet. Error bars represent SEM (standard error of the mean). At least six mice were included in each group at each time point. (E) Kaplan Meier plot for survival of SEC24A-deficient mice (n=20) and littermate controls (n=15). (F) Histology of several tissues from Sec24agt/gt mice. Li, liver; H, heart; K, kidney; Lu, lung.

The article has been corrected accordingly.