Generation of a transgenic mouse line expressing GFP-Cre protein from a Hoxb4 neural enhancer.
Here, we describe a transgenic mouse line, in which expression of green fluorescent protein fused to Cre recombinase (GFP-Cre) is directed by the early neuronal enhancer (ENE) of Hoxb4. In E9.0-13.5 transgenic embryos, Cre activity coincided with endogenous Hoxb4 throughout the neural tube up to the r6/r7 boundary in the hindbrain, the dorsal root ganglia, and the Xth cranial ganglia. Unexpectedly, Cre activity was also consistently detected in the trigeminal (Vth) cranial nerve, which is devoid of endogenous Hoxb4 expression. Strong GFP dependent fluorescence appeared slightly later in E9.5-E11.5 embryos, and reflected the later expression pattern expected for Hoxb4-ENE directed expression in the neural tube up to the r7/r8 not r6/r7 boundary. Thus, with the exception of the trigeminal nerve, this reporter faithfully reproduces endogenous embryonic neural Hoxb4 expression, and provides an excellent reagent for in vivo gene manipulations in neuronal Hoxb4 positive cells as well as the developing trigeminal nerve. This transgenic mouse line should prove especially useful for determining the fate map of neuronal populations arising in rhombomeres 7 and 8 on its own and in combination with the small set of other existing rhombomere-specific Cre recombinase expressing lines.
Rivkin
Elena
E
Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mt. Sinai Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Cordes
Sabine P
SP
D000818:Animals; D004742:Enhancer Elements, Genetic; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D054259:Neural Tube / Q000378:metabolism*; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics*
D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; C513262:Hoxb4 protein, mouse; D014157:Transcription Factors; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases