Novel pan-neuronal Cre-transgenic line for conditional ablation of genes in the nervous system

Abstract

Summary: Tissue-specific gene ablation is accomplished by combining conventional gene targeting approaches with site-specific recombinases such as the Cre/loxP system. Despite the use of a cardiac-specific rat myosin light chain II promoter, our transgenic line (CRE3) had little or no Cre expression in the heart; however, strong Cre activity was detected in the brain as early as gestation day E11.5. This was determined by several methods including crossing our mouse line with a lacZ indicator line (ROSA26). Transgenic Cre, in this mouse line, mediated DNA recombination of loxPflanked genes selectively in neurons throughout the gray matter of the brain, cerebellum, spinal cord, as well as retina, dorsal, and sympathetic ganglia. Cre protein was also detected by immunohistochemistry exclusively in neurons, but not in other types of cells or tissues. Thus, our transgenic CRE3 mice provide pan-neuronal expression of CRE for carrying out conditional deletion of genes in neurons and their progenitors. genesis 42:6-16, 2005.

Stimulation of Anxiety-Like Behavior via ERK Pathway by Competitive Serotonin Receptors 2A and 1A in Post-Traumatic Stress Disordered Mice

“…The ePet-Cre mice can express Cre recombinase in the serotonin neurons, Ai9 mice expressed the red fluorescent protein tdTomato because of the role of the Cre recombinant enzyme [34-36]. We found 300bp electrophoretic bands to be related to ePet-Cre in the PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis analyses.…”

“…The ePet-Cre-Ai9 mice were modeled to examine the function of serotonin on anxiety-like behavior [34-36]. The mice model was evaluated by open field test, freezing behavior test and the elevated plus maze test [22].…”

“…The PCR screening for TdTomato transgene integration was performed under the following conditions: 94℃ for 30 minutes, 36 cycles of 94℃ for 30 seconds, 61℃ for 30 seconds, 72℃ for 30 seconds, 72℃ for 2 minutes and kept at 4℃. PCR products were analyzed with agarose gel electrophoresis and visualized with Gel Image Analysis System (Tanon 2500R, Shanghai, China) [34-36]. …”

Development of Diabesity in Mice with Neuronal Deletion of Shp2 Tyrosine Phosphatase

“…12 Neuronal Cre expression was confirmed by virtue of Cre-mediated recombination and activation of a floxed lacZ (␤-galactosidase) gene in the mouse brain ( Figure 1, A and B). Shp2 flox mice 11 were mated with the transgenic CRE3 mice.…”

“…In parallel to deletion of Shp2 in postmitotic forebrain neurons of CAMKII␣-Cre mice, 11 we performed Shp2 ablation in neurons by crossing Shp2 floxed mice with a pan-neuronal Cre-line (CRE3), established and characterized in our laboratory. 12 In this report, we present the "diabesity" phenotype of the CRE3/Shp2-KO mice and compare it with phenotype exhibited by CAMKII␣-Cre:Shp2 flox/flox (CaSKO) line.…”