IL7-hCD25 and IL7-Cre BAC transgenic mouse lines: new tools for analysis of IL-7 expressing cells.
IL-7 is a cytokine that is required for T-cell development and homeostasis as well as for lymph node organogenesis. Despite the importance of IL-7 in the immune system and its potential therapeutic relevance, questions remain regarding the sites of IL-7 synthesis, specific cell types involved and molecular mechanisms regulating IL-7 expression. To address these issues, we generated two bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mouse lines in which IL-7 regulatory elements drive expression of either Cre recombinase or a human CD25 (hCD25) cell surface reporter molecule. Expression of the IL-7.hCD25 BAC transgene, detected by reactivity with anti-hCD25 antibody, mimicked endogenous IL-7 expression. Fetal and adult tissues from crosses between IL-7.Cre transgenic mice and Rosa26R or R26-EYFP reporters demonstrated X-gal or YFP staining in tissues known to express endogenous IL-7 at some stage during development. These transgenic lines provide novel genetic tools to identify IL-7 producing cells in various tissues and to manipulate gene expression selectively in IL-7 expressing cells.
Repass
John F
JF
Department of Carcinogenesis, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Science Park Research Division, Smithville, Texas 78957, USA.
Laurent
Micheline N
MN
Carter
Carla
C
Reizis
Boris
B
Bedford
Mark T
MT
Cardenas
Kim
K
Narang
Priyanka
P
Coles
Mark
M
Richie
Ellen R
ER
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D022202:Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015851:Interleukin-7 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism
D053645:Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit; D015851:Interleukin-7; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases