title: Use of GFAP-lacZ transgenic mice to determine astrocyte fate in grafts of embryonic ventral midbrain.
abstract: Embryonic ventral midbrains from GFAP-lacZ transgenic mice were xenografted into the dopamine-depleted striata of adult rats. This transgenic line harbors a nuclear-targeted bacterial beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) reporter gene under transcriptional control of the human glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) promoter sequence. Five weeks post-transplantation, graft-derived astrocytes and dopaminergic neurons were visualized by dual immunocytochemistry for beta-gal and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), respectively. This report describes the advantages associated with the use of GFAP-lacZ transgenic mice to study astrocyte fate in embryonic neural grafts.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque 87131, USA.
authors.forename: J G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Quintana
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Lopez-Colberg
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Cunningham
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D016380:Brain Tissue Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D017690:Cell Transplantation / Q000502:physiology*; D004298:Dopamine / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D016332:Fetal Tissue Transplantation / Q000502:physiology; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007763:Lac Operon / Q000235:genetics*; D008636:Mesencephalon / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase; D001616:beta-Galactosidase; D004298:Dopamine