The Prl3d1‐Cre mouse line selectively induces the expression of Cre recombinase in parietal trophoblast giant cells

Abstract

SummaryThe placenta plays a pivotal role in the maintenance of normal pregnancy, but how it forms, matures, and performs its function remains poorly understood. Here, we describe a novel mouse line (Prl3d1‐iCre) that expresses iCre recombinase under the control of the endogenous prl3d1 promoter. Prl3d1 has been proposed as a marker for distinguishing trophoblast giant cells (TGCs) from other trophoblast cells in the placenta. The in vivo efficiency and specificity of the Cre line were analyzed by interbreeding Prl3d1‐iCre mice with B6‐G/R reporter mice. Through anatomical studies of the placenta and other tissues of Prl3d1‐iCre/+; B6‐G/R mouse mice, we found that the tdTomato signal was expressed in parietal trophoblast giant cells (P‐TGCs). Thus, we report a mouse line with ectopic Cre expression in P‐TGCs, which provides a valuable tool for studying human pathological pregnancies caused by implantation failure or abnormal trophoblast secretion due to aberrant gene regulation.