Novel strategies to probe the functions of serotonin receptors.
Gene targeting has proven to be extremely powerful in various fields of biological research. Through this technique, knockout mice lacking a particular gene, and thus a particular protein, can be generated. One limitation to this technique is the fact that mice develop without the protein of interest and therefore, developmental compensations may have taken place, contributing to an observed phenotype. Inducible strategies, those which allow the timing of expression of a gene to be regulated, are currently being developed and should prove useful when applied to gene targeting technology. To begin to apply such new technologies to the field of gene targeting, we first created and tested several reporter constructions using the tetracycline inducible system. Here we describe the creation of several beta-galactosidase reporter constructions and the results of in vitro testing in Cos-7 cells. We then discuss future knockout strategies based upon our observations.
Center for Neurobiology and Behavior, Columbia University, New York, New York 10032, USA.
K L
KL
Stark
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RS
Oosting
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R
Hen
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology; D019556:COS Cells; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D018390:Gene Targeting; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D011985:Receptors, Serotonin / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics
D011985:Receptors, Serotonin; D001616:beta-Galactosidase