title: Floxed allele for conditional inactivation of the GABAB(1) gene.
abstract: GABA(B) receptors are the G-protein-coupled receptors for the neurotransmitter GABA. GABA(B) receptors are broadly expressed in the nervous system. Their complete absence in mice causes premature lethality or--when mice are viable--epilepsy, impaired memory, hyperalgesia, hypothermia, and hyperactivity. A spatially and temporally restricted loss of GABA(B) function would allow addressing how the absence of GABA(B) receptors leads to these diverse phenotypes. To permit a conditional gene inactivation, we flanked critical exons of the GABA(B(1)) gene with lox511 sites. GABA(B(1)) (lox511/lox511) mice exhibit normal levels of GABA(B(1)) protein, are fertile, and do not display any behavioral phenotype. We crossed GABA(B(1)) (lox511/lox511) with Cre-deleter mice to produce mice with an unrestricted GABA(B) receptor elimination. These GABA(B(1)) (-/-) mice no longer synthesize GABA(B(1)) protein and exhibit the expected behavioral abnormalities. The conditional GABA(B(1)) allele described here is therefore suitable for generating mice with a site- and time-specific loss of GABA(B) function.
authors.affiliation: Pharmazentrum, University of Basel, Department of Clinical-Biological Sciences, Institute of Physiology, CH-4056 Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Corinne
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Haller
authors.forename: Emilio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Casanova
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.forename: Claire-Marie
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Vacher
authors.forename: Rejan
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Vigot
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Doll
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Barbieri
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gassmann
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bettler
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D001418:Baclofen / Q000494:pharmacology; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D005260:Female; D018755:GABA Agonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D020868:Gene Silencing / Q000502:physiology*; D018390:Gene Targeting; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000139:chemically induced; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D016254:Mutagenesis, Insertional; D018080:Receptors, GABA-B / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018755:GABA Agonists; D018080:Receptors, GABA-B; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases; D001418:Baclofen