Expression of Cre recombinase in pigment cells.
Conditional gene targeting using the Cre/loxP system enables specific deletion of a gene in a tissue of interest. For application of Cre-mediated recombination in pigment cells, Cre expression has to be targeted to pigment cells in transgenic mice. So far, no pigment cell-specific Cre transgenic line has been reported and we present and discuss our first results on use of Cre recombinase in pigment cells. A construct was generated where Cre recombinase is controlled by the promoter of the mouse dopachrome tautomerase (Dct) gene. The construct was functionally tested in vitro and introduced into mice. Following breeding to two reporter mouse strains, we detected Cre recombinase activity in telencephalon, melanoblasts, and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Our data demonstrate the feasibility of pigment cell-specific Cre/loxP-mediated recombination.
Guyonneau
Laurence
L
ISREC (Swiss Institute for Experimental Cancer Research), Chemin des Boveresses 155, CH-1066 Epalinges, Switzerland.
Rossier
Anita
A
Richard
Christelle
C
Hummler
Edith
E
Beermann
Friedrich
F
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018388:Codon, Terminator / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D018390:Gene Targeting / Q000379:methods*; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics*; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D008543:Melanins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D008544:Melanocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010857:Pigment Epithelium of Eye / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
D018388:Codon, Terminator; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D008543:Melanins; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases; C042501:dopachrome isomerase