The generation of a conditional reporter that enables bioluminescence imaging of Cre/loxP-dependent tumorigenesis in mice.
The ability to noninvasively quantitate tumor burden from conditional (Cre/loxP-dependent) mouse cancer models would greatly increase their range of useful applications. We now report the generation of a reporter mouse that enables visualization of spontaneous tumor development from pre-existing conditional mouse tumor models via in vivo bioluminescence imaging. We demonstrate that bioluminescence can be "switched-on" in a Cre-dependent manner in every organ analyzed, and that this gives rise to between a 4 and 6-log increase in light emission per mg of wet tissue weight. Furthermore, we highlight the utility of this reporter by showing that it can be used as a sensitive means to measure spontaneous Kras2(v12)-induced lung tumorigenesis in a pre-existing mouse model of non-small cell lung cancer. Taken together, our results suggest that this reporter may be combined with a wide-range of other Cre/loxP tumor mouse models, irrespective of their tissue specificity and render them immediately amenable to longitudinal monitoring of tumor growth and therapeutic response with a noninvasive in vivo imaging approach.
Lyons
Scott K
SK
Division of Molecular Genetics and Centre of Biomedical Genetics, The Netherlands Cancer Institute, 1066 CX Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
Meuwissen
Ralph
R
Krimpenfort
Paul
P
Berns
Anton
A
D000818:Animals; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008163:Luminescent Measurements; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D008156:Luciferases; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases