title: A transgenic mouse line expressing cre recombinase in pancreatic β-cells.
abstract: Transgenic mouse lines expressing Cre recombinase in a cell-specific and tissue-specific manner are essential tools for studying gene function and for developing suitable models for human diseases. Here, we used an expression cassette containing the full 5' untranslated region of the porcine insulin gene to generate a mouse line expressing Cre recombinase specifically in pancreatic β-cells by pronuclear DNA microinjection. We obtained a founder animal that transmitted the construct to its descendants in a Mendelian fashion and whose descendants showed a clear activation of β-galactosidase expression in pancreatic β-cells after crossing into the ROSA26 lacZ reporter mouse line. Cre expression in other organs was negative except for the kidney, intestine, and the cerebral pons where β-galactosidase activity was detected in a small percentage of the cells. This new mouse line is a valuable tool for recombination of floxed alleles in pancreatic β-cells in vivo.
authors: Chair for Molecular Animal Breeding and Biotechnology, and Laboratory for Functional Genome Analysis (LAFUGA), Gene Center, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany.
authors: Maik
authors: M
authors: Dahlhoff
authors: Marjeta
authors: M
authors: Grzech
authors: Felix A
authors: FA
authors: Habermann
authors: Eckhard
authors: E
authors: Wolf
authors: Marlon R
authors: MR
authors: Schneider
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D017931:DNA Primers; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics*; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000201:enzymology*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D008845:Microinjections; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases