Analysis of dopamine transporter gene expression pattern -- generation of DAT-iCre transgenic mice

The dopamine transporter is an essential component of the dopaminergic synapse. It is located in the presynaptic neurons and regulates extracellular dopamine levels. We generated a transgenic mouse line expressing the Cre recombinase under the control of the regulatory elements of the dopamine transporter gene, for investigations of gene function in dopaminergic neurons. The codon-improved Cre recombinase (iCre) gene was inserted into the dopamine transporter gene on a bacterial artificial chromosome. The pattern of expression of the bacterial artificial chromosome-dopamine transporter-iCre transgene was similar to that of the endogenous dopamine transporter gene, as shown by immunohistochemistry. Recombinase activity was further studied in mice carrying both the bacterial artificial chromosome-dopamine transporter-iCre transgene and a construct expressing the beta-galactosidase gene after Cre-mediated recombination. In situ studies showed that beta-galactosidase (5-bromo-4-chloroindol-3-yl beta-D-galactoside staining) and the dopamine transporter (immunofluorescence) had identical distributions in the ventral midbrain. We used this animal model to study the distribution of dopamine transporter gene expression in hypothalamic nuclei in detail. The expression profile of tyrosine hydroxylase (an enzyme required for dopamine synthesis) was broader than that of beta-galactosidase in A12 to A15. Thus, only a fraction of neurons synthesizing dopamine expressed the dopamine transporter gene. The bacterial artificial chromosome-dopamine transporter-iCre transgenic line is a unique tool for targeting Cre/loxP-mediated DNA recombination to dopamine neurons for studies of gene function or for labeling living cells, following the crossing of these mice with transgenic Cre reporter lines producing fluorescent proteins.     

Improved FACS-Gal: flow cytometric analysis and sorting of viable eukaryotic cells expressing reporter gene constructs

The previously reported FACS-Gal assay (Nolan et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 85:2603-2607, 1988) measures E. coli lacZ-encoded beta-galactosidase activity in individual viable eukaryotic cells for a variety of molecular and cellular biological applications. Enzyme activity is measured by flow cytometry, using a fluorogenic substrate, which is hydrolyzed and retained intracellularly. In this system, lacZ serves both as a reporter gene to quantitate gene expression and as a selectable marker for the fluorescence-activated sorting of cells based on their lacZ expression level. This report details the following improvements of the original assay: 1) use of phenylethyl-beta-D-thiogalactoside, a competitive inhibitor, to inhibit beta-galactosidase activity; 2) reduction of false positives by two-color measurements; and 3) inhibition of interfering mammalian beta-galactosidases by the weak base chloroquine. We found an exponential relationship between fluorescence generated by beta-galactosidase in this assay and the intracellular concentration of beta-galactosidase molecules. Finally, we report conditions for optimal loading of the substrate (FDG) and retention of the product, fluorescein. Under these conditions, we found uniform loading of FDG in all cells of a clone in individual experiments. Together, these improvements make FACS-Gal an extremely powerful tool for investigation of gene expression in eukaryotic cells.     

Stable transformation of mouse teratocarcinoma stem cells with the dominant selective marker Eco.gpt and retention of their developmental potentialities

Transformation of PCC4 mouse teratocarcinoma stem cells was obtained using a dominant selective marker, the enzyme xanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (XGPRT), coded by the bacterial Eco.gpt gene placed under the control of the early SV40 genes in the vector pSV2gpt. An average of 20 colonies of transformed cells was obtained, using the calcium phosphate technique, 10 microg DNA vector, no carrier DNA and 1 x 10(6) recipient cells. Five independent Eco.gpt-transformed PCC4 cell lines were propagated in selective medium and assayed for XGPRT activity. All of them had the ability to convert [14C]xanthine to xanthine monophosphate. pSV2gpt sequences were present and associated with high mol. wt. cellular DNA. pSV2gpt sequences and XGPRT activity were both conserved in the three clones that were propagated in non-selective medium for 30 generations. The transformed PCC4 cells retained their ability to produce, in host mice, teratocarcinoma tumors composed of embryonal carcinoma and various differentiated tissues. Thus, pSV2gpt can be used as a dominant marker to select teratocarcinoma stem cells co-transformed with genes that are not selectable by themselves.     

Surface IgM mediated regulation of RAG gene expression in E mu-N-myc B cell lines.

Transgenic mice carrying either the c-myc or N-myc oncogene deregulated by the immunoglobulin heavy chain enhancer element (E mu) develop both pre-B and B cell lymphomas (E mu-c-myc and E mu-N-myc lymphomas). We report here that B cell lines derived from these tumors, as well as a line derived from v-myc retroviral transformation, simultaneously express surface immunoglobulin (a hallmark of mature B cells) as well as a common subset of genes normally restricted to the pre-B stage of development-including the recombinase activating genes RAG-1 and RAG-2. Continued RAG-1 and RAG-2 expression in these lines is associated with VDJ recombinase activity detected with a VDJ recombination substrate. Cross-linking of the surface immunoglobulin on these lines with an anti-mu antibody leads to rapid, specific and reversible down-regulation of RAG-1 and RAG-2 gene expression. We also find that a small but significant percentage of normal surface immunoglobulin bearing bone marrow B cells express the RAG-1 gene. These findings are discussed in the context of their possible implications for the control of specific gene expression during the pre-B to B cell transition.     

Targeting mammary epithelial cells using a bacterial artificial chromosome

We describe the generation of transgenic mouse lines expressing Cre recombinase in epithelial cells of the lactating mammary gland. As an expression vector, we used a P1-derived bacterial artificial chromosome (PAC) which harbors the gene for the secretory milk protein, whey acidic protein (Wap). Using homologous recombination in E. coli, the PAC was modified to carry the improved coding sequence of Cre recombinase (iCre). Transgenic lines carrying the WAPiCre PAC express Cre recombinase efficiently in the majority of mammary epithelial cells upon lactation. Of only four transgenic lines produced, three express Cre recombinase to a high efficiency. LoxP-flanked DNA sequences are recombined in virtually all epithelial cells of WAPiCre transgenic mice at lactation day 3.     

Ectopic mitotic recombination in Drosophila probed with bacterial beta-galactosidase gene-based reporter transgenes.

Plasmids were constructed to investigate homologous mitotic recombination in Drosophila cells. Heteroalleles containing truncated but overlapping segments of the bacterial beta-galactosidase gene (lacZ) were positioned either on separate plasmids or as direct repeats on the same chromosome. Recombination reconstituted a functional lacZgene leading to expression of LacZ+activity detectable by histochemical staining. High extrachromosomal recombination (ECR) frequencies between unlinked heteroalleles were observed upon transient co-transfection into Drosophila melanogaster Schneider line 2 (S2) cells. Stably transfected cells containing the lacZ heteroalleles linked on a chromosome exhibited intrachromosomal recombination (ICR) frequencies two orders of magnitude lower than ECR frequencies. Recombination was inducible by exposing the cells to ethyl methanesulphonate or mitomycin C. Recombination products were characterized by multiplex PCR analysis and unequal sister chromatid recombination was found as the predominant mechanism reconstituting the lacZ gene. To investigate recombination in vivo imaginal disc cells from transgenic larvae carrying the reporter gene on the X chromosome were isolated and stained for LacZ+ activity. The presence of a few LacZ+ clones indicated that mitotic recombination events occurred at frequencies two orders of magnitude lower than the corresponding event in cultured cells and late during larval development.     

Odontoblast-specific expression of cre recombinase successfully deletes gene segments flanked by loxP sites in mouse teeth

Embryonic or neonatal lethality of mice with targeted disruption of critical genes preclude them from further characterization of specific roles of these genes during postnatal development and aging. In order to study the molecular roles of such genes in teeth, we generated transgenic mouse lines expressing bacteriophage Cre recombinase under the control of the mouse dentin sialophosphoprotein (dspp) gene promoter. The expression of Cre recombinase protein was mainly detected in the nucleus of the odontoblasts. The efficiency of Cre activity was analyzed by crossing the Dspp-Cre mice with ROSA26 reporter (R26R) mice. The offspring with both genotypes have shown specific deletion of intervening sequences flanked by loxP sites upstream of the reporter gene, thereby facilitating the expression of the beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) gene in the teeth. The activity of beta-gal was initially observed in the odontoblasts of 1-day-old mice and increased with tooth development. Almost all of the odontoblasts have shown lacZ activity by 3 weeks of age. We could not detect Cre recombinase activity in any other cells, including ameloblasts. These studies indicate that the Dspp-Cre transgenic mice will be valuable to generate odontoblast-specific gene knockout mice so as to gain insight into the molecular roles of critical genes in the odontoblasts during dentinogenesis.     

Site-specific integration and expression of a developmental promoter in Myxococcus xanthus.

A series of intercellular signals are involved in the regulation of gene expression during fruiting body formation of Myxococcus xanthus. Mutations which block cell interactions, such as csgA (formerly known as spoC), also prevent expression of certain developmentally regulated promoters. csgA+ cells containing Tn5 lac omega DK4435, a developmentally regulated promoter fused to lacZ, began synthesizing lacZ mRNA 12 to 18 h into the developmental cycle. beta-Galactosidase specific activity increased about 12 h later. Neither lacZ mRNA nor beta-galactosidase activity was detected in a developing csgA mutant containing omega DK4435. The developmental promoter and its fused lacZ reporter gene were cloned into a pBR322-derived plasmid vector containing a portion of bacteriophage Mx8. These plasmids preferentially integrated into the M. xanthus chromosome by site-specific recombination at the bacteriophage Mx8 attachment site and maintained a copy number of 1 per chromosome. The integrated plasmids were relatively stable, segregating at a frequency of 0.0007% per generation in the absence of selection. The cloned and integrated promoter behaved like the native promoter, expressing beta-galactosidase at the proper time during wild-type development and failing to express the enzyme during development of a csgA mutant. The overall level of beta-galactosidase expression in merodiploid cells containing one native promoter and one promoter fused to lacZ was about half that of cells containing a single promoter fused to lacZ. These results suggest that the timing of developmentally regulated gene expression is largely independent of the location of this gene within the chromosome. Furthermore, they show that site-specific recombination can be a useful tool for establishing assays for promoter or gene function in M. xanthus.     

Flp recombinase transgenic mice of C57BL/6 strain for conditional gene targeting

We constructed an expression vector of Flp recombinase modified by adding a nuclear localization signal. Injection of the expression vector into fertilized eggs of the C57BL/6 strain yielded transgenic mouse lines expressing the Flp recombinase transgene in the testis. We crossed the transgenic mice to reporter mice carrying the neomycin phosphotransferase gene flanked by target sites of Flp recombinase. Examination of the deletion of the neomycin phosphotransferase gene in the progeny showed that Flp-mediated recombination took place efficiently in vivo in FLP66 transgenic mouse line. These results suggest that the Flp recombinase system is effective in mice and in combination with the Cre recombinase system extends the potentials of gene manipulation in mice. One of the useful applications of FLP66 transgenic mouse line is the removal of marker genes from mice manipulated for the conditional gene targeting with the Cre/loxP system in the pure C57BL/6 genetic background.     

An assay for transient gene expression in transfected Drosophila cells, using [3H]guanine incorporation.

We have developed an assay for transient gene expression using a dominant-selectable marker previously employed to transform Drosophila cultured cells. Drosophila hydei cells transfected with a functional Escherichia coli xanthine guanine phosphoribosyl transferase gene (gpt), under the control of the long terminal repeats (LTRs) of the copia transposable element, rapidly incorporate guanine into acid-precipitable counts. Autoradiographic analysis in situ shows that approximately 20% of cells take up, and express, the gpt gene. This transient gpt expression depends on the Drosophila promoter sequences since vectors with the gpt gene in reverse orientation to the copia LTRs fail to incorporate guanine. Deletion analysis confirms that the LTRs are essential for gpt gene expression. Similarly, cells transfected with gpt controlled by the Drosophila 70 000 mol. wt. heat-shock (hsp 70) promoter show regulated guanine incorporation when heat shocked. The efficiency of the copia LTRs varies considerably between the cell lines we tested, whereas that of the hsp 70 promoter does not. The heterologous promoters of the Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) and simian virus 40 (SV40) function poorly in these cells.     

改良型痘苗病毒安卡拉株表达系统可删除筛选标记的双表达穿梭载体

为了构建改良型痘苗病毒安卡拉株表达系统可删除筛选标记的双表达穿梭载体,利用Cre/LoxP DNA重组系统以及本实验室表达Cre酶的BHK-21细胞系 (BHK-Cre),以大肠杆菌黄嘌呤-鸟嘌呤磷酸核糖转移酶 (Eco gpt) 为筛选标记构建可删除筛选标记的双表达穿梭载体pLR-gpt。将Eco gpt 基因以及调控其表达的启动子基因置于2个同向的LoxP位点之间,2个独立的多克隆位点位于2个LoxP位点之外,最终获得的重组病毒可以在BHK-Cre细胞系上删除筛选标记Eco gpt。为了验证系统的有效     

Inducible model for beta-six-mediated site-specific recombination in mammalian cells

The prokaryotic beta recombinase catalyzes site-specific recombination between two directly oriented minimal six sites in chromatin-integrated substrates. Here, we demonstrate that an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-fused version of beta recombinase (beta-EGFP) is fully active, retaining most specific activity. It is used to develop a recombination-dependent activatable gene expression (RAGE) system based on the androgen receptor (AR) ligand-binding domain (LBD). Two hybrid molecules, a direct fusion of the LBD-AR to the C-terminus of beta recombinase (beta-AR) and a triple fusion of beta-EGFP to the same ligand-binding domain (beta-EGFP-AR), were engineered and their subcellular behavior, stability and catalytic activity were evaluated. Both chimeric beta recombinase proteins showed in vivo inducible recombinogenic activity dependent on addition of an androgen receptor agonist, although the beta-AR fusion protein demonstrated more accurate ligand-dependent translocation from cytoplasm to nucleus.     

RecET driven chromosomal gene targeting to generate a RecA deficient Escherichia coli strain for Cre mediated production of minicircle DNA

Background  

Minicircle DNA is the non-replicating product of intramolecular site-specific recombination within a bacterial minicircle producer plasmid. Minicircle DNA can be engineered to contain predominantly human sequences which have a low content of CpG dinucleotides and thus reduced immunotoxicity for humans, whilst the immunogenic bacterial origin and antibiotic resistance marker gene sequences are entirely removed by site-specific recombination. This property makes minicircle DNA an excellent vector for non-viral gene therapy. Large-scale production of minicircle DNA requires a bacterial strain expressing tightly controlled site-specific recombinase, such as Cre recombinase. As recombinant plasmids tend to be more stable in RecA-deficient strains, we aimed to construct a recA ^- bacterial strain for generation of minicircle vector DNA with less chance of unwanted deletions.