title: Selective expression of the Cre recombinase in late-stage thymocytes using the distal promoter of the Lck gene.
abstract: Transgenic mouse lines were generated that express the Cre recombinase under the control of the distal promoter of the mouse Lck gene. Cre recombination in four of these lines of transgenic mice was characterized at the single cell level using ROSA26-regulated loxP-Stop-loxP-betageo and loxP-Stop-loxP-YFP reporter mouse lines. Two of the lines showed T cell-restricted Cre recombination, whereas the other two also expressed Cre in B cells, NK cells, and monocytes. Cre recombination began at a late stage of T cell development (at or after up-regulation of the TCR during positive selection) in the two T cell-restricted lines. Lines of mice that express the Cre recombinase at late stages of thymocyte development are of value for determining the impact of mutations on T cell function in the absence of complicating effects on early thymocyte selection.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of California, San Francisco, 94143, USA.
authors.forename: Dong Ji
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Qi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Gyulnar
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baimukanova
authors.forename: Frank
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Buchholz
authors.forename: A Francis
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: Xiaohong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: Nigel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Killeen
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001402:B-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D001426:Bacterial Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology*; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D019426:Integrases / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics*; D007694:Killer Cells, Natural / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck) / Q000235:genetics*; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009000:Monocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000276:immunology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000276:immunology*; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000276:immunology; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D001426:Bacterial Proteins; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; C054562:yellow fluorescent protein, Bacteria; D019860:Lymphocyte Specific Protein Tyrosine Kinase p56(lck); C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases