Noninvasive imaging of bone-specific collagen I expression in a luciferase transgenic mouse model.
Luciferase transgenic mice are a very promising tool for noninvasive, quantitative, and longitudinal evaluation of gene expression. The aim of this study was to validate the Col(I)-Luc transgenic mouse model in which the luciferase gene is driven by bone-specific regulatory elements from the mouse collagen α1(I) gene for bioluminescent imaging of bone development and remodeling. We observed strong luciferase activity in skeletal tissues of Col(I)-Luc mice, and observed that the light intensity declined with postnatal bone development. Luciferase activity was enhanced in a tail bone repair model and we were able to monitor the process of ectopic bone formation induced by recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein 2 using bioluminescent imaging. We conclude that Col(I)-Luc transgenic mice can be applied in the field of bone tissue engineering for monitoring bone repair processes and for investigating osteoinductive molecules or scaffolds.
Liu
Jun
J
Department of Tissue Regeneration, MIRA Research Institute, University of Twente, Enschede, The Netherlands.
Arends
Roel
R
Martens
Anton
A
den Brok-Bardoel
Maria H C
MH
Scheepers
Marian G H
MG
van Blitterswijk
Clemens A
CA
de Boer
Jan
J
D000818:Animals; D001861:Bone Regeneration / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D024042:Collagen Type I / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D023421:Models, Animal; D057054:Molecular Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D023822:Tissue Engineering / Q000379:methods; D054457:Tissue Scaffolds / Q000737:chemistry; D019076:Transgenes / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
D024042:Collagen Type I; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D008156:Luciferases