title: Using conditional mutagenesis to study the brain.
abstract: Conditional genetic modifications are used to determine how individual molecules contribute to the function of defined neuronal circuits in the mouse brain. Among various techniques for these genetic modifications, the tetracycline transactivator and the Cre-loxP systems have proved to be most successful in recent years. Here we describe the basic principles, recent developments, and potential applications of these methodologies. We discuss their impact on the study of general brain function and their use for modeling different brain disorders.
authors.affiliation: Unit on Behavioral Genetics, Laboratory of Molecular Pathophysiology, Department of Health and Humans Services (AM), National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland 20892, USA.
authors.forename: Alexei
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Morozov
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kellendonk
authors.forename: Eleanor
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.forename: Francois
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tronche
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics; D007858:Learning; D008568:Memory; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D016296:Mutagenesis; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000378:metabolism; D015534:Trans-Activators / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014158:Transcription, Genetic; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015534:Trans-Activators; D014764:Viral Proteins; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases; D013752:Tetracycline