Generation of Smad7‐Cre recombinase mice: A useful tool for the study of epithelial‐mesenchymal transformation within the embryonic heart |
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Authors: | Paige Snider Sunyong Tang Goldie Lin Jian Wang Simon J Conway |
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Institution: | 1. Riley Heart Research Center, HB Wells Center for Pediatric Research, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana;2. Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana;3. Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana;4. Department of Medical and Molecular Genetics, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana |
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Abstract: | Smad7 can be induced by various transforming growth factor‐β superfamily ligands and negatively modulates their signaling, thus acting in a negative, autocrine feedback manner. Previous analyses have demonstrated that although Smad7 is widely expressed, it is predominantly found in the vascular endothelium. Because of the restricted spatiotemporal reporter expression driven via a novel 4.3 kb Smad7 promoter in endocardial cells overlying the hearts atrioventricular (AV) cushions; we hypothesized that a transgenic Cre line would prove useful for the analysis of endocardial cushion and valve formation. Here we describe a mouse line, Smad7Cre, where Cre is robustly expressed within both cardiac outflow and AV endocardial cushions. Additionally, as endocardial cells are thought to contribute at least in part to the formation of the endocardial cushion mesenchyme, we crossed the Smad7Cre mice to the ROSA26eGFP‐DTA diphtheria toxin A‐expressing mice in order to genetically ablate Smad7Cre expressing cells. Ablation of Smad7Cre cells resulted in embryonic lethality by E11.5 and largely acellular endocardial cushions. genesis 47:469–475, 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc. |
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Keywords: | mouse embryo Smad7 Cre recombinase endocardial cushions heart development Cre/loxP cell ablation |
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