title: Generation of conditional alleles for Foxc1 and Foxc2 in mice.
abstract: The Forkhead box transcription factors, Foxc1 and Foxc2, are crucial for development of the eye, cardiovascular network, and other physiological systems, but their cell-type specific and postdevelopmental functions are unknown, in part because conventional (i.e., whole-organism) homozygous-null mutations of either factor result in perinatal death. Here, we describe the generation of mice with conditional-null Foxc1(flox) and Foxc2(flox) mutations that are induced via Cre-mediated recombination. Mice homozygous for the unrecombined alleles are viable and fertile, indicating that the conditional alleles retain their wild-type function. The embryos of Foxc1(flox) or Foxc2(flox) mice crossed with Cre-deleter mice that are homozygous for the recombined allele (i.e., Foxc1(Δ/Δ) or Foxc2(Δ/Δ) embryos) lack expression of the corresponding gene and show the same developmental defects observed in conventional homozygous mutant embryos. We expect these conditional mutations to enable characterization of the cell-type specific functions of Foxc1 and Foxc2 in development, disease, and adult animals.
authors.affiliation: Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois 60611, USA.
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sasman
authors.forename: Carey
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Nassano-Miller
authors.forename: Kyoo Seok
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Shim
authors.forename: Hyun Young
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Koo
authors.forename: Ting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Kathryn M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Schultz
authors.forename: Meredith
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Millay
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nanano
authors.forename: Myengmo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kume
mesh_terms: D000483:Alleles; D000818:Animals; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006720:Homozygote; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D011995:Recombination, Genetic; D014158:Transcription, Genetic
chemical_list: D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C112890:Foxc1 protein, mouse; C082078:mesenchyme fork head 1 protein; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases