Cre recombinase activity specific to postnatal, premeiotic male germ cells in transgenic mice

We have generated a transgenic mouse line,Tg(Stra8-cre)1Reb (Stra8-cre), which expresses improved Cre recombinase under the control of a 1.4 Kb promoter region of the germ cell-specific stimulated by retinoic acid gene 8 (Stra8). cre is expressed only in males beginning at postnatal day (P)3 in early-stage spermatogonia and is detected through preleptotene-stage spermatocytes. To further define when cre becomes active, we crossed Stra8-cre males with Tg(ACTB-Bgeo/GFP)21Lbe (Z/EG) reporter females and compared the expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) with the protein encoded by the zinc finger and BTB domain containing 16 (Zbtb16) gene, PLZF-a marker for undifferentiated spermatogonia. Co-expression of EGFP is observed in the majority of PLZF+ cells. We also tested recombination efficiency by mating Stra8-cre;Z/EG males and females with wild-type mice and examining EGFP expression in the offspring. Recombination is detected in >95% of Z/EG+ pups born to Stra8-cre;Z/EG fathers but in none of the offspring born to transgenic mothers, a verification that cre is not functional in females. The postnatal, premeiotic, male germ cell-specific activity of Stra8-cre makes this mouse line a unique resource to study testicular germ cell development.     

Efficient inducible Pan-neuronal cre-mediated recombination in SLICK-H transgenic mice

Large-scale functional genomics in mice is becoming feasible through projects to develop conditional knockout alleles for every gene. Inducible neuron-specific gene knockout in such mice will permit the analysis of neuronal phenotypes while circumventing developmental defects or embryonic lethality. Here we describe a transgenic line, termed SLICK-H, that facilitates widespread inducible conditional genetic manipulation within most populations of projection neurons. In SLICK-H mice, the Thy1 promoter drives robust and relatively uniform expression of a drug-inducible form of cre recombinase throughout the peripheral and central nervous system. This permits efficient induction of cre-mediated genetic manipulation upon tamoxifen administration in adult mice. Importantly, cre activity in the absence of tamoxifen is minimal, permitting tight control of recombination. In the present study, we catalog in detail the transgene expression patterns and recombination efficiencies in SLICK-H mice. Our results highlight the utility of SLICK-H mice for functional genomics in the nervous system.     

Region-specific deletions of RIM1 reproduce a subset of global RIM1α(-/-) phenotypes

The presynaptic protein RIM1α mediates multiple forms of presynaptic plasticity at both excitatory and inhibitory synapses. Previous studies of mice lacking RIM1α (RIM1α(-/-) throughout the brain showed that deletion of RIM1α results in multiple behavioral abnormalities. In an effort to begin to delineate the brain regions in which RIM1 deletion mediates these abnormal behaviors, we used conditional (floxed) RIM1 knockout mice (fRIM1). By crossing these fRIM1 mice to previously characterized transgenic cre lines, we aimed to delete RIM1 selectively in the dentate gyrus (DG), using a specific preproopiomelanocortin promoter driving cre recombinase (POMC-cre) line , and in pyramidal neurons of the CA3 region of hippocampus, using the kainate receptor subunit 1 promoter driving cre recombinase (KA-cre). Neither of these cre driver lines was uniquely selective to the targeted regions. In spite of this, we were able to reproduce a subset of the global RIM1α(-/-) behavioral abnormalities, thereby narrowing the brain regions in which loss of RIM1 is sufficient to produce these behavioral differences. Most interestingly, hypersensitivity to the pyschotomimetic MK-801 was shown in mice lacking RIM1 selectively in the DG, arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus and select cerebellar neurons, implicating novel brain regions and neuronal subtypes in this behavior.     

Specificity and efficiency of Cre-mediated recombination in Emx1-Cre knock-in mice

Emx1 is a mouse homologue of the Drosophila homeobox gene empty spiracles and its expression is restricted to the neurons in the developing and adult cerebral cortex and hippocampus. We reported previously the creation of a line of transgenic mice in which the cre gene was placed directly downstream of the putative Emx1 promoter using ES cell technology. We showed that Cre protein was present in the cerebral cortex of the transgenic mice and was able to mediate loxP-specific recombination in vitro. In the present study, the specificity and efficiency of the cre-mediated recombination were determined using three independent lines of reporter mice and a combination of histochemical staining, neuronal culture, and Southern detection of the genomic DNA. Our results showed that the recombination was highly efficient in all three lines of reporter mice tested and confirmed that the deletion was restricted to the neurons in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Furthermore, we have determined that the recombination efficiency in the cerebral cortex was 91%. Our results suggest that Emx1 is not expressed in every neuron in the developing and adult cerebral cortex. This line of cre mice should contribute to the studies of cortical development and plasticity.     

Neural expression of alpha-internexin promoter in vitro and in vivo

alpha-Internexin is a 66 kDa neuronal intermediate filament protein found most abundantly in the neurons of the nervous systems during early development. To characterize the function of mouse alpha-internexin promoter, we designed two different expression constructs driven by 0.7 kb or 1.3 kb of mouse alpha-internexin 5'-flanking sequences; one was the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) reporter for monitoring specific expression in vitro, and the other was the cre for studying the functional DNA recombinase in transgenic mice. After introducing DNA constructs into non-neuronal 3T3 fibroblasts and a neuronal Neuro2A cell line by lipofectamine transfection, we observed that the expression of EGFP with 1.3 kb mouse alpha-internexin promoter was in a neuron-dominant manner. To establish a tissue-specific pattern in the nervous system, we generated a transgenic mouse line expressing Cre DNA recombinase under the control of 1.3 kb alpha-Internexin promoter. The activity of the Cre recombinase at postnatal day 1 was examined by mating the cre transgenic mice to ROSA26 reporter (R26R) mice with knock-in Cre-mediated recombination. Analyses of postnatal day 1 (P1) newborns showed that beta-galactosidase activity was detected in the peripheral nervous system (PNS), such as cranial nerves innervating the tongue and the skin as well as spinal nerves to the body trunk. Furthermore, X-gal-labeled dorsal root ganglionic (DRG) neurons showed positive for alpha-Internexin in cell bodies but negative in their spinal nerves. The motor neurons in the spinal cord did not exhibit any beta-galactosidase activity. Therefore, the cre transgene driven by mouse alpha-internexin promoter, described here, provides a useful animal model to specifically manipulate genes in the developing nervous system.     

Enteroendocrine cell expression of a cholecystokinin gene construct in transgenic mice and cultured cells

CCK is predominantly expressed in subsets of endocrine cells in the intestine and neurons in the brain. We evaluated the expression of a CCK gene construct in transgenic mice and cultured cells to identify a genomic region that directs correct tissue- and cell-specific expression in enteroendocrine cells. The CCKL1 transgene contained 6.4 kb of mouse Cck fused to lacZ. Expression was evaluated in three transgenic lines (J11, J12, J14) by measurement of beta-galactosidase in tissue homogenates and frozen sections. Correct tissue-specific expression was observed, with beta-galactosidase activity detected in intestine and brain. However, there were differences seen in cell-specific expression in the intestine. Line J14 exhibited expression in CCK-endocrine cells, with expressing cells arising at the normal time during fetal development. However, transgene expression in line J12 intestine was limited to neurons of the enteric nervous system, which reflect an early fetal expression pattern for CCK. Analysis of an additional 15 transgenic founder mice demonstrated intestinal expression in 40% of transgenics, with expressing mice following either an endocrine cell pattern or a neuronal pattern in approximately equal numbers. CCKL1 transfection analysis in cultured cells also demonstrated enteroendocrine cell expression, with 100-fold enhanced activity in the enteroendocrine cell line STC-1 compared with nonendocrine cell lines. The results suggest that the minimal cis-regulatory DNA elements necessary for appropriate CCK expression in enteroendocrine cells reside within the 6.4-kb mouse genomic fragment.     

Emx1-specific expression of foreign genes using "knock-in" approach

Emx1 is a mouse homologue of the Drosophila homeobox gene empty spiracles. Its expression is limited to the neurons in developing and adult cerebral cortex and hippocampus. Because of the highly restricted expression pattern of the Emx1 gene, it would be quite desirable to characterize the promoter of the Emx1 for directing foreign gene expression in the transgenic mouse. We report here that we have achieved the Emx1-specific expression in transgenic mice by inserting the lacZ reporter and cre genes directly into the exon 1 of the Emx1 gene using embryonic stem (ES) cell technology. The distribution of the beta-galactosidase activity in the transgenic mice was consistent with the published results obtained using in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that Cre protein was present in the cerebral cortex of the transgenic mice and was able to mediate loxP-specific recombination in vitro. The creation of this line of cre transgenic mice, and the demonstration that the insertion site located in the exon 1 of the Emx1 gene could render foreign genes a specific expression pattern restricted to the developing and adult cerebral cortex and hippocampus, should be conducive to further studies of the effect of a gene mutation or overexpression upon the development and plasticity of cerebral cortex and hippocampus.     

Precise pattern of recombination in serotonergic and hypothalamic neurons in a Pdx1-cre transgenic mouse line

Background

Multicellular organisms are characterized by a remarkable diversity of morphologically distinct and functionally specialized cell types. Transgenic techniques for the manipulation of gene expression in specific cellular populations are highly useful for elucidating the development and function of these cellular populations. Given notable similarities in developmental gene expression between pancreatic β-cells and serotonergic neurons, we examined the pattern of Cre-mediated recombination in the nervous system of a widely used mouse line, Pdx1-cre (formal designation, Tg(Ipf1-cre)89.1Dam), in which the expression of Cre recombinase is driven by regulatory elements upstream of the pdx1 (pancreatic-duodenal homeobox 1) gene.

Methods

Single (hemizygous) transgenic mice of the pdx1-cre^Cre/0 genotype were bred to single (hemizygous) transgenic reporter mice (Z/EG and rosa26R lines). Recombination pattern was examined in offspring using whole-mount and sectioned histological preparations at e9.5, e10.5, e11.5, e16.5 and adult developmental stages.

Results

In addition to the previously reported pancreatic recombination, recombination in the developing nervous system and inner ear formation was observed. In the central nervous system, we observed a highly specific pattern of recombination in neuronal progenitors in the ventral brainstem and diencephalon. In the rostral brainstem (r1-r2), recombination occurred in newborn serotonergic neurons. In the caudal brainstem, recombination occurred in non-serotonergic cells. In the adult, this resulted in reporter expression in the vast majority of forebrain-projecting serotonergic neurons (located in the dorsal and median raphe nuclei) but in none of the spinal cord-projecting serotonergic neurons of the caudal raphe nuclei. In the adult caudal brainstem, reporter expression was widespread in the inferior olive nucleus. In the adult hypothalamus, recombination was observed in the arcuate nucleus and dorsomedial hypothalamus. Recombination was not observed in any other region of the central nervous system. Neuronal expression of endogenous pdx1 was not observed.

Conclusions

The Pdx1-cre mouse line, and the regulatory elements contained in the corresponding transgene, could be a valuable tool for targeted genetic manipulation of developing forebrain-projecting serotonergic neurons and several other unique neuronal sub-populations. These results suggest that investigators employing this mouse line for studies of pancreatic function should consider the possible contributions of central nervous system effects towards resulting phenotypes.

     

hGFAP‐cre transgenic mice for manipulation of glial and neuronal function in vivo

With the goal of performing astrocyte‐specific modification of genes in the mouse, we have generated a transgenic line expressing Cre recombinase under the control of the human glial fibrillary acidic protein (hGFAP) promoter. Activity was monitored by crossing the hGFAP‐cre transgenics with either of two reporter lines carrying a lacZ gene whose expression requires excision of loxP‐flanked stop sequences. We found that lacZ expression was primarily limited to the central nervous system, but therein was widespread in neurons and ependyma. Cell types within the brain that notably failed to activate lacZ expression included Purkinje neurons of the cerebellum and choroid plexus epithelium. Onset of Cre expression began in the forebrain by e13.5, suggesting that the hGFAP promoter is active in a multi‐potential neural stem cell. genesis 31:85–94, 2001. © 2001 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Transgenic zebrafish expressing fluorescent proteins in central nervous system neurons

Zebrafish is a powerful model system for investigations of vertebrate neural development. The animal has also become an important model for studies of neuronal function. Both in developmental and functional studies, transgenic zebrafish expressing fluorescent proteins in central nervous system neurons have been playing important roles. We review here the methods for producing transgenic zebrafish. Recent advances in transposon- or bacterial artificial chromosome-based transgenesis greatly facilitate the creation of useful lines. We also present our study on alx -positive neurons to reveal how transgenic zebrafish expressing fluorescent proteins in a specific class of neurons can be used to investigate their development and function.     

Pitx2 deletion in pituitary gonadotropes is compatible with gonadal development, puberty, and fertility

This report introduces a gonadotrope-specific cre transgenic mouse capable of ablating floxed genes in mature pituitary gonadotropes. Initial analysis of this transgenic line, Tg(Lhb-cre)1Sac, reveals that expression is limited to the pituitary cells that produce luteinizing hormone beta, beginning appropriately at e17.5. Cre activity is detectable by a reporter gene in nearly every LHbeta-producing cell, but the remaining hormone-producing cell types and other organs exhibit little to no activity. We used the Tg(Lhb-cre)1Sac strain to assess the role Pitx2 in gonadotrope function. The gonadotrope-specific Pitx2 knockout mice exhibit normal expression of LHbeta, sexual maturation, and fertility, suggesting that Pitx2 is not required for gonadotrope maintenance or for regulated production of gonadotropins.     

Temporal regulation of Cre-recombinase activity in Scl-positive neurons of the central nervous system

The Cre/LoxP system provides a powerful tool to investigate gene function in vivo. This system requires Cre-recombinase expressing mouse lines that permit control of gene recombination in a tissue-specific and time-dependent manner. To allow spatio-temporal gene deletion in specific central nervous system (CNS) neuronal populations, we generated mice with a tamoxifen-inducible Cre (Cre-ER(T)) transgene under control of the Scl/Tal1 neural promoter/enhancer -0.9E3 (-0.9E3CreER(T) transgenic mice). Using Cre-reporter mice we have shown that tamoxifen-mediated Cre-ER(T) recombination in -0.9E3CreER(T) mice recapitulated the anticipated expression pattern of Scl in the caudal thalamus, midbrain, hindbrain, and spinal cord. Cre-mediated recombination was also effectively induced during embryogenesis and marked the same population of neurons as observed in the adult. Additionally, we identified a tamoxifen-independent constitutively active -0.9E3CreER(T) mouse line that will be useful for gene deletion during early neurogenesis. These -0.9E3CreER(T) mice will provide tools to investigate the role of neuronal genes in the developing and mature CNS. CNS.     

A heat‐inducible CRE/LOXP gene induction system in medaka

We established three lines of transgenic medaka, a heat‐shock element (HSE) monitor line (hse‐GFP line), heat‐inducible driver lines (hse‐cre lines), and effector lines (gapdh‐loxP[DsRed]‐GFP lines). We employed these to comprehensively analyze gene induction at different time points in various tissues. These analyses demonstrate a good response of synthetic HSEs by heat treatment during embryogenesis and the mosaic gene induction by cre/loxP‐mediated recombination, thus providing practical information regarding the feasibility of a heat‐inducible cre/loxP‐mediated system in medaka. We also activated recombination by local heat‐treatment using a metal probe and an infrared laser. Our results collectively indicate that these lines allow us to perform lineage tracing and mosaic analysis and provide the platform to investigate gene functions at later developmental stage and adult. genesis 51:59–67, 2013. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

外源脱水应答转录因子DREB基因在转基因小麦中的诱导型表达与抗干旱生理效果研究

以冬小麦品种8901、5-98、99-92和104等品种的幼穗和幼胚为材料,用基因枪转化含逆境诱导转录因子DREB和bar基因的质粒pBAC128F（7024bp）。经筛选与植株再生,共获得70多个转基因小麦植株及其后代株系。转基因株系经PCR分析和RNA点杂交检测,结果表明外源转录因子DREB基因已稳定整合到转基因植株及其后代株系中,并且在部分后代株系中获得了表达。叶片脯氨酸含量测定表明,有16个转基因株系的脯氨酸含量与非转基因对照相比,增加相当显著,其中10个株系的脯氨酸含量在1100μg/g以上,比对照提高了2倍多。室内抗旱模拟实验表明,转基因株系停止浇水15d后,叶片仍然表现绿色,而对照叶片则失绿、枯干;复水10d后,转基因株系恢复活力,对照则死亡。研究表明,利用逆境诱导型启动子（rd29B）来增强外源DREB基因的表达,能显著改良小麦的抗旱性。     

A Cre transgene active in developing endodermal organs, heart, limb, and extra-ocular muscle

Cre-mediated recombination, a method widely used in mice for tissue-specific inactivation of endogenous genes or activation of transgenes, is critically dependent on the availability of mouse lines in which Cre recombinase functions in the tissue of interest or its progenitors. Here we describe a transgenic mouse line, Osr1-cre, in which Cre is active from embryonic day (E)11.5 in a few specific tissues. These include the endoderm of the posterior foregut, midgut, hindgut, and developing urogenital system, the heart left atrium, extra-ocular muscle progenitors, and mesenchyme in particular regions of the limb. Furthermore, starting at E12.5, Cre functions in limb interdigital mesenchyme. Within the urogenital system, recombination appears to be virtually complete in the epithelium of the bladder and urethra just posterior to it by E14.5. In males, some of these urethral cells form the prostate. The spatiotemporal pattern of Cre activity in Osr1-cre makes it a unique resource among the lines available for Cre-mediated recombination experiments.     

Cre-mediated recombination in the pituitary gland

Organ-specific expression of a cre recombinase transgene allows for the analysis of gene function in a particular tissue or cell type. Using a 4.6 kb promoter from the mouse glycoprotein hormone alpha-subunit (alphaGSU or Cga) gene, we have generated and characterized a line of transgenic mice that express cre recombinase in the anterior and intermediate lobes of the pituitary gland. Utilizing a cre-responsive reporter transgene, alphaGSU-cre transgene expression was detected in the pituitary primordium and in all five cell types of the adult anterior pituitary. alphaGSU-cre transgene activity was also detected in the cardiac and skeletal muscle. Little or no activity was evident in the gonads, adrenal glands, brain, ventromedial hypothalamus, or kidneys. The alphaGSU-cre transgenic mice characterized here will be a valuable tool for examining gene function in the pituitary gland.