title: Rhodopsin-iCre transgenic mouse line for Cre-mediated rod-specific gene targeting.
abstract: Retinal photoreceptors are highly differentiated postmitotic neurons that transduce photons into electrical signals. While the functions of many photoreceptor-specific genes can be evaluated by direct gene targeting, here we facilitate the studies of nonphotoreceptor-specific genes in these cells by developing an Opsin-iCre transgenic mouse line, iCre-75, in which a 4-kb mouse rod opsin promoter drives the expression of bacteriophage P1 Cre recombinase. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that Cre recombinase is present exclusively in the outer nuclear layer of iCre75 mouse retina. Cre expression is found only in rods and not in cones. The expression level reached 188+/-44 ng per retina at postnatal day (pnd) 11 and increased to 687+/-56 ng at 2 months and older. Cre-mediated excision of floxed genomic DNA was absent at pnd 4, became detectable at pnd 7, and was completed by pnd 18. Retinal morphology and electroretinograms were normal in 8-month-old transgenic animals. The iCre-75 transgenic mice are thus suitable for future genetic studies of essential genes in retinal rod photoreceptors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112-5330, USA.
authors.forename: Sha
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Desheng
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sauvé
authors.forename: Jeremy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: McCandless
authors.forename: Yu-Jiun
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Ching-Kang
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D004247:DNA / Q000235:genetics; D004596:Electroretinography; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D018390:Gene Targeting; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics*; D007763:Lac Operon; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012160:Retina / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D017948:Retinal Rod Photoreceptor Cells / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D012243:Rhodopsin / Q000235:genetics*; D017299:Rod Opsins / Q000235:genetics; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D017299:Rod Opsins; D014764:Viral Proteins; D004247:DNA; D012243:Rhodopsin; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases