Generation of a tamoxifen inducible Tnnt2MerCreMer knock‐in mouse model for cardiac studies

Tnnt2, encoding thin‐filament sarcomeric protein cardiac troponin T, plays critical roles in heart development and function in mammals. To develop an inducible genetic deletion strategy in myocardial cells, we generated a new Tnnt2:MerCreMer (Tnnt2^MerCreMer/+) knock‐in mouse. Rosa26 reporter lines were used to examine the specificity and efficiency of the inducible Cre recombinase. We found that Cre was specifically and robustly expressed in the cardiomyocytes at embryonic and adult stages following tamoxifen induction. The knock‐in allele on Tnnt2 locus does not impact cardiac function. These results suggest that this new Tnnt2^MerCreMer/+ mouse could be applied towards the temporal genetic deletion of genes of interests in cardiomyocytes with Cre‐LoxP technology. The Tnnt2^MerCreMer/+ mouse model also provides a useful tool to trace myocardial lineage during development and repair after cardiac injury. genesis 53:377–386, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Smad2条件基因剔除载体的构建及LoxP位点有效性鉴定

Smads家族是最新发现的TGF－β信号转导途径中一个重要的新基因家族,SMAD2属于受体激活的SMADs。Smad2在某些肿瘤中发生突变,是一种可能的肿瘤抑制基因。Smad2基因完全剔除小鼠在胚胎期E6．5天死亡,为了研究Smad2在成体各组织器官及肿瘤发生中的可能作用,构建了Smad2条件基因剔除载体,将LoxP置于Smad2基因组序列C末端功能域两侧,并在组成型表达Cre重组酶的大肠杆菌中检测了LoxP位点的功能,该载体的构建为进行Smad2组织特异性基因剔除研究了奠定了基础。     

Germ cell specific promoter drives ectopic transgene expression during embryogenesis

In this study, we used the male germ cell-specific phosphoglycerate kinase 2 (Pgk2) promoter to generate Pgk2Cre transgenic mice to allow investigation of genes critically involved in meiosis. The Pgk2 promoter had been used previously to target transgene expression to spermatocytes and spermatids in several laboratories including ours. In several Cre targeting experiments using other promoters, ectopic Cre expression had been observed, but the timing and extent of this expression was not analyzed. We demonstrate that in adult mice the Pgk2Cre transgene is expressed specifically in spermatocytes and spermatids, as expected. However, in offspring from matings of Pgk2Cre mice and an H19loxP indicator strain, we discovered that recombination events had occurred in several, but not all, tissues to varying extents. The lacZ-loxP transgenic indicator strain was next used to uncover ectopic Cre expression even in single cells, which indicated that the Pgk2Cre transgene is expressed between days 11 and 15 during embryogenesis in several tissues and organs. Using an RT PCR assay we were unable to detect endogenous Pgk2 mRNA during embryogenesis or in adult tissues other than testis. In conclusion, the Pgk2 promoter is a valid choice for targeting gene expression to meiotic male germ cells, since transient ectopic expression is unlikely to have a discernable effect in most studies, but it may be inappropriate for utilization with Cre recombinase.     

他莫昔芬诱导的Cre重组酶在hGfapCreERT2转基因鼠小脑中的表达研究

目的探讨他莫昔芬诱导的hGfapCreERT2转基因鼠小脑中表达Cre重组酶的细胞类型。方法 hGfapCre-ERT2/Rosa26R转基因小鼠在胚胎晚期和出生早期用他莫昔芬诱导Cre重组酶表达,对小脑组织切片行X-gal染色,然后用细胞种类特异性抗体进行免疫组织化学染色,并和X-gal染色双重标记。结果在出生后第7天(P7)、第14天(P14)和第60天(P60),X-gal阳性染色和胶质细胞抗体Blbp阳性染色共标记,和神经元抗体Neun、浦肯野细胞抗体Calbindin及少突胶质细胞前体细胞抗体NG2不共标。结论自胚胎晚期第17.5天(E17.5)后用他莫昔芬诱导hGfapCreERT2转基因鼠,发现Cre重组酶特异性在小脑星形胶质细胞中表达,不在神经元、浦肯野细胞、少突胶质细胞前体细胞中表达。     

Keratin promoter based gene manipulation in the murine conducting airway

Systems capable of targeting genetic manipulations to keratin-positive airway basal cells are more poorly developed than systems targeting other airway epithelial cell populations and this has likely hindered development of animal models of diseases such as lung squamous cell carcinoma. Although keratin promoter driven-Cre recombinase constructs are potentially useful for targeting these cells, these constructs have substantially higher activity in the skin and oral epithelium than in the airways. We developed a method for delivering RU486, the conditional activator of Cre recombinase progesterone receptor (CrePR) fusion proteins to the lung and then examined the activity of three keratin-driven CrePR constructs in the conducting airways. We also developed a technique for survival bronchioalveolar lavage on non-ventilated animals to examine the effects of the acetone/oil vehicle required to deliver RU486 to the lung. K5CrePR1 and K14CrePR1 constructs differ only in the keratin promoter used to target CrePR1 expression while K5Cre*PR contains a truncated progesterone receptor designed to reduce RU486-independent Cre activity. While all three constructs demonstrate RU486-inducible Cre activity in the conducting airways, both construct activity and tightness of regulation vary considerably. K5Cre*PR is the most tightly regulated Cre driver making it ideal for targeting somatic mutations to the airway epithelia while K5CrePR1 and K14CrePR1 may be better suited to studying diseases of the conducting airways where gene targeting of keratin expressing cells and their derivatives is desired.     

Immunofluorescent Localization of Z-Nin in the Z-Disk

Of 14 coryneform and 2 Micrococcus strains tested, Arthrobacter globiformis IFO 12137, A. simplex IFO 12069, and Brevibacterium helvolum IFO 12073 utilized l-arginine as a sole carbon and nitrogen source, and synthesized the enzymes specific for the arginine oxygenase pathway when grown on l-arginine. The first step reaction was stimulated by FAD and aeration, and the enzyme responsible was shown to be arginine 2-monooxygenase (EC 1.13.12.1). High activities of five enzymes, including guanidinobutyramidase and ganidinobutyrase (EC 3.5.3.7), were detected in the extract of l-arginine-grown A. simplex cells. The enzymes in the last two steps, 4-aminobutyrate aminotransferase (EC 2.6.1.19) and succinate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.16), of B. helvolum were also induced by putrescine. These results indicate that some bacteria belonging to the coryneform group employ the arginine oxygenase pathway as a major route for l-arginine metabolism, l-arginine being degraded to succinate via 4-guanidinobutyramide and 4-guanidinobutyrate. The last part of the pathway may be common to the pathway for putrescine degradation.     

Primary Spermatocyte-Specific Cre Recombinase Activity in Transgenic Mice

We have evaluated the specificity of Cre recombinase activity in transgenic mice expressing Cre under the control of the synatonemal complex protein 1 (Sycp1) gene promoter. Sycp1Cre mice were crossed with the ROSA26 reporter line R26R, to monitor the male germ cell stage-specificity of Cre activity as well as to verify that Cre was not active previously during development of other tissues. X-gal staining detected Cre-mediated recombination only in testis. Detailed histological examination indicated that weak Cre-mediated recombination occurred as early as in zygotene spermatocytes at stage XI of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium. Robust expression of X-gal was detected in early to mid-late spermatocytes at stages V-VIII. We conclude that this transgenic line is a powerful tool for deleting genes of interest specifically during male meiosis.     

Tet-system for the regulation of gene expression during embryonic development

The ability to control gene expression in a temporal and spatial manner provides a new tool for the study of mammalian gene function particularly during development and oncogenesis. In this study the suitability of the tet-system for investigating embryogenesis was tested in detail. The tTA ^CMV (M1) and rTA ^CMV-3 (reverse Tc-controlled transactivator) transgenic mice were bred with NZL-2 bi-reporter mice containing the vector with a tTA/rTA responsive bidirectional promoter that allows simultaneous regulation of expression of two reporter genes encoding luciferase and -galactosidase. In both cases reporter genes were found to be expressed in a wide spectrum of tissues of double transgenic embryos and adult mice. The earliest expression was detected in tTA ^CMV (M1)/NZL-2 embryos at embryonic day 10.5 (E10.5) and rTA ^CMV -3/NZL-2 embryos at E13.5. Doxycycline abolished -gal expression in tTA ^CMV (M1)/NZL-2 but induced it in rTA ^CMV -3/NZL-2 embryos including late stages of embryogenesis. The tTA and rtTA transactivators thus revealed a partially complementary mode of action during second half of embryonic development. These experiments demonstrated that both Tet regulatory systems function during embryonic development. We conclude that the Tet systems allows regulation of gene expression during embryonic development and that double reporter animals like the NZL-2 mice are useful tools for the characterization of newly generated tet transactivator lines expressing tTA (or rtTA) in embryonic as well as in adult tissues.