Nas transgenic mouse line allows visualization of Notch pathway activity in vivo.
The Notch signaling pathway plays multiple and important roles in mammals. However, several aspects of its action, in particular, the precise mapping of its sites of activity, remain unclear. To address this issue, we generated a transgenic line carrying a construct consisting of a nls-lacZ reporter gene under the control of a minimal promoter and multiple RBP-Jkappa binding sites. Here we show that this transgenic line, which we termed NAS (for Notch Activity Sensor), displays an expression profile that is consistent with current knowledge on Notch activity sites in mice, even though it may not report on all these sites. Moreover, we observe that NAS transgene expression is abolished in a RBP-Jkappa-deficient background, indicating that it indeed requires Notch/RBP-Jkappa signaling pathway activity. Thus, the NAS transgenic line constitutes a valuable and versatile tool to gain further insights into the complex and various functions of the Notch signaling pathway.
Souilhol
Céline
C
CNRS, URA 2578, Paris, F-75015, France.
Cormier
Sarah
S
Monet
Marie
M
Vandormael-Pournin
Sandrine
S
Joutel
Anne
A
Babinet
Charles
C
Cohen-Tannoudji
Michel
M
D000818:Animals; D001158:Arteries / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D001483:Base Sequence; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology; D051819:Immunoglobulin J Recombination Signal Sequence-Binding Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D007763:Lac Operon; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic / Q000196:embryology / Q000502:physiology*; D008954:Models, Biological; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D051880:Receptors, Notch / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D019170:Somites / Q000378:metabolism; D019076:Transgenes
D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D051819:Immunoglobulin J Recombination Signal Sequence-Binding Protein; D051880:Receptors, Notch; C053886:spermatid transition proteins