title: HuGE, a novel GFP-actin-expressing mouse line for studying cytoskeletal dynamics.
abstract: Analysis of actin remodeling in live cells and tissues has become an increasingly important tool to study actin-dependent cellular processes. To facilitate these experiments in the mouse we have generated a GFP-actin-expressing line (huGE) by knock-in of the GFP-actin gene into the profilin 1 locus. Here we show that GFP-actin is expressed throughout embryonic development and in all tissues except skeletal muscle, in a pattern similar to profilin 1. Particularly high expression of GFP-actin was observed in bone marrow and all blood cells. The GFP-actin fusion protein is functional as shown by its co-localization with endogenous actin in F-actin-rich structures. Therefore, the huGE mouse line provides a novel tool to monitor actin dynamics in mouse embryos and a wide range of organs.
authors.affiliation: EMBL Mouse Biology Unit, Campus Adriano Buzzati-Traverso, Via Ramarini 32, I-00016 Monterotondo, Italy.
authors.forename: Christine B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Gurniak
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Witke
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001773:Blood Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D001854:Bone Marrow Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D002460:Cell Line; D003599:Cytoskeleton / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D047108:Embryonic Development / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008264:Macrophages / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout / Q000235:genetics*; D022423:Myeloid Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D051304:Profilins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; C495739:Pfn1 protein, mouse; D051304:Profilins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins