Tamoxifen-inducible glia-specific Cre mice for somatic mutagenesis in oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells.
Inducible transgenesis provides a valuable technique for the analysis of gene function in vivo. We report the generation and characterization of mouse lines carrying glia lineage-specific transgenes expressing an improved variant of the tamoxifen-inducible Cre recombinase, CreERT2, where the recombinase is fused to a mutated ligand binding domain of the human estrogen receptor. Using a PLP-CreERT2 transgene, we have generated mice that show specific inducible Cre function, as analyzed by cross-breeding experiments into the Rosa26 Cre-LacZ reporter line, in developing and adult Schwann cells, in mature myelinating oligodendrocytes, and in undifferentiated NG2-positive oligodendrocyte precursors in the adult. Using a P0Cx-CreERT2 transgene, we have also established mouse lines with inducible Cre function specifically in the Schwann cell lineage. These tamoxifen-inducible CreERT2 lines will allow detailed spatiotemporally controlled analysis of gene functions in loxP-based conditional mutant mice in both developing and adult Schwann cells and in the oligodendrocyte lineage.
Institute of Cell Biology, Department of Biology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, ETH Hönggerberg, Zürich, Switzerland.
Dino P
DP
Leone
Stéphane
S
Genoud
Suzana
S
Atanasoski
Reinhard
R
Grausenburger
Philipp
P
Berger
Daniel
D
Metzger
Wendy B
WB
Macklin
Pierre
P
Chambon
Ueli
U
Suter
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000235:genetics; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D005333:Fetus; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000235:genetics*; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000235:genetics; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics*; D007774:Lactation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D016296:Mutagenesis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D017933:Peripheral Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary / Q000235:genetics; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000235:genetics; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D012583:Schwann Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019076:Transgenes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D013629:Tamoxifen; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases