Characterization of transgene expression and Cre recombinase activity in a panel of Thy-1 promoter-Cre transgenic mice.
The regulatory elements of the murine Thy1.2 gene were used to drive Cre recombinase expression in the nervous system (NS) of transgenic mice. Eleven Thy1-Cre lines exhibited transgene expression in several regions of the central and peripheral nervous systems, including the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, spinal cord, retina, and dorsal root ganglion. Thy1-Cre expression also resulted in region-specific activation of Cre reporter transgenes. Although Thy-1 expression is normally initiated in postmitotic neurons in the perinatal period, we show that the Thy-1.2 expression cassette drives Cre expression in immature proliferative zones in the NS as early as embryonic day 11 and in non-neural tissue. The Thy1.2 transgene cassette, therefore, does not impart transgene expression that is restricted to the NS or to postmitotic neurons within the NS. This panel of Thy1-Cre transgenic mice, however, will be useful reagents for the ablation of genes whose transcripts are spatially or temporally restricted in the developing NS.
Campsall
Katrina D
KD
Molecular Medicine Program, Center for Neuromuscular Disease, Ottawa Health Research Institute, Ottawa, ON, Canada.
Mazerolle
Chantal J
CJ
De Repentingy
Yves
Y
Kothary
Rashmi
R
Wallace
Valerie A
VA
D000818:Animals; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000196:embryology; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D007518:Isoantibodies / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008938:Mitosis; D008957:Models, Genetic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012160:Retina / Q000196:embryology*; D013997:Time Factors; D019076:Transgenes; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*
D018076:DNA, Complementary; D007518:Isoantibodies; D014764:Viral Proteins; C035678:anti-Thy antibody; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases