title: Targeted expression of Cre recombinase in macrophages and osteoclasts in transgenic mice.
abstract: To develop specific conditional gene ablation in the hematopoietic myeloid-osteoclast lineage, transgenic mice expressing Cre recombinase under the control of the CD11b promotor were generated on the C57BL/6 background. The cellular specificity of Cre activity following recombination was quantified in the Z/EG reporter transgenic mice by FACS analysis with lineage-specific markers and EGFP coexpression. A high degree of recombination, as evidenced by EGFP-positive cells, was demonstrated in macrophages and granulocytes of bone marrow and spleen by the presence of double-positive cells CD11b/EGFP and Gr1/EGFP, respectively. Interestingly, the peritoneal macrophage population showed almost complete DNA recombination at large. Most important, mature osteoclast cells derived from the double transgenic bone marrow and spleen progenitors were EGFP-positive. Hence, these CD11b-Cre mice will provide a unique tool to unravel novel gene function and activities involved during osteoclast and macrophage differentiation and maturation processes.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Recherches Cliniques de Montréal, Québec H2W 1R7, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ferron
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vacher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D039481:CD11b Antigen / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics*; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019426:Integrases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D008264:Macrophages / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic / Q000378:metabolism*; D023421:Models, Animal; D010010:Osteoclasts / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D013234:Stem Cells
chemical_list: D039481:CD11b Antigen; D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases