title: Optical imaging of pancreatic beta cells in living mice expressing a mouse insulin I promoter-firefly luciferase transgene.
abstract: We generated transgenic mice expressing firefly (Photinus pyralis) luciferase (luc) under the control of the mouse insulin I promoter (MIP). The mice have normal glucose tolerance and pancreatic islet architecture. The luciferase-expressing beta cells can be readily visualized in living mice using whole-body bioluminescent imaging. The MIP-luc transgenic mice may be useful for monitoring changes in beta cell function or mass in living animals with normal or altered metabolic states.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The University of Chicago, Chicago , Illinois, USA. sooyoung@uchicago.edu
authors.forename: Soo-Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Xiaoyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhongyi
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Alvin C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Powers
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Magnuson
authors.forename: W Steven
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Head
authors.forename: David W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Piston
authors.forename: Graeme I
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Bell
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D018929:Cell Culture Techniques; D050417:Insulin-Secreting Cells / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D049409:Luciferases, Firefly / Q000032:analysis* / Q000235:genetics; D049408:Luminescent Agents / Q000032:analysis*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic / Q000235:genetics*; D011384:Proinsulin / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D019076:Transgenes / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D049408:Luminescent Agents; D011384:Proinsulin; D049409:Luciferases, Firefly