title: Generation of NSE-MerCreMer transgenic mice with tamoxifen inducible Cre activity in neurons.
abstract: To establish a genetic tool for conditional deletion or expression of gene in neurons in a temporally controlled manner, we generated a transgenic mouse (NSE-MerCreMer), which expressed a tamoxifen inducible type of Cre recombinase specifically in neurons. The tamoxifen inducible Cre recombinase (MerCreMer) is a fusion protein containing Cre recombinase with two modified estrogen receptor ligand binding domains at both ends, and is driven by the neural-specific rat neural specific enolase (NSE) promoter. A total of two transgenic lines were established, and expression of MerCreMer in neurons of the central and enteric nervous systems was confirmed. Transcript of MerCreMer was detected in several non-neural tissues such as heart, liver, and kidney in these lines. In the background of the Cre reporter mouse strain Rosa26R, Cre recombinase activity was inducible in neurons of adult NSE-MerCreMer mice treated with tamoxifen by intragastric gavage, but not in those fed with corn oil only. We conclude that NSE-MerCreMer lines will be useful for studying gene functions in neurons for the conditions that Cre-mediated recombination resulting in embryonic lethality, which precludes investigation of gene functions in neurons through later stages of development and in adult.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, LKS Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Mandy Ka Man
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Kam
authors.forename: King Yiu
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Paul Kwong Hang
authors.initials: PK
authors.lastname: Tam
authors.forename: Vincent Chi Hang
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Lui
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000187:drug effects; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000235:genetics; D013629:Tamoxifen / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D013629:Tamoxifen; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases; D001616:beta-Galactosidase