title: Mice expressing GFP and CreER in osteochondro progenitor cells in the periosteum.
abstract: We generated Prx1CreER-GFP transgenic mice that express tamoxifen-inducible Cre recombinase and GFP under the control of a 2.4 kb Prx1 promoter. The transgene is expressed in osteochondro progenitor cells in the developing limb buds and in a subpopulation of periosteal cells that is closely associated with the cortical bone. GFP-expressing cells isolated from the diaphyses of long bones by cell sorting express multiple markers of periosteal cells, including Prx1, Fgf18, Tenascin-W, Periostin, and Thrombospondin 2. In addition, these cells undergo chondrogenic and osteogenic differentiation in culture upon induction. Cell fate analysis using the Rosa26 LacZ reporter indicated that transgene-expressing cells give rise to some of the chondrocytes and osteoblasts in the fracture callus. Collectively, these observations strongly suggest that the transgene-expressing cells are osteochondro progenitor cells in the periosteum. The established Prx1CreER-GFP mice would offer novel approaches for analyzing the functions of periosteal cells in vitro and in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics, Case Western Reserve University, 10900 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA.
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kawanami
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsushita
authors.forename: Yuk Yu
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Shunichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Murakami
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D019902:Chondrocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010006:Osteoblasts / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D010521:Periosteum / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D011506:Proteins / Q000235:genetics; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; D013234:Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; C110853:Gt(ROSA)26Sor non-coding RNA, mouse; D011506:Proteins; D022661:RNA, Untranslated; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases; D001616:beta-Galactosidase