Highly restricted expression of Cre recombinase in cerebellar Purkinje cells.
The Purkinje neuron, one of the most fascinating components of the cerebellar cortex, is involved in motor learning, motor coordination, and cognitive function. Purkinje cell protein 2 (Pcp2/L7) expression is highly restricted to Purkinje and retinal bipolar cells, where it has been exploited to enable highly specific, Cre recombinase-mediated, site-specific recombination. Previous studies showed that mice carrying a Cre transgene produced by insertion of Cre cDNA into a small 2.88-kb Pcp2 DNA fragment expressed Cre in Purkinje cells; however, some Cre activity was also observed outside the target tissues. Here, we used Red-mediated recombineering to insert Cre cDNA into a 173-kb BAC carrying the entire intact Pcp2 gene, and characterize the resultant BAC/Cre transgenic mice for Cre expression. We show that BAC/Cre transgenic mice have exclusive Cre expression in Purkinje and bipolar cells and nowhere else. These mice will facilitate Purkinje cell and retinal bipolar cell-specific genetic manipulation.
Zhang
Xin-Mei
XM
Department of Biochemistry, University of Hong Kong, Faculty of Medicine Building, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Ng
Alam Hoi-Lam
AH
Tanner
Julian A
JA
Wu
Wu-Tian
WT
Copeland
Neal G
NG
Jenkins
Nancy A
NA
Huang
Jian-Dong
JD
D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000201:enzymology; D022202:Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial; D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary / Q000235:genetics; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009043:Motor Activity; D011689:Purkinje Cells / Q000201:enzymology*
D017931:DNA Primers; D018076:DNA, Complementary; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases