title: Spatial and temporal lineage analysis of a Pitx3-driven Cre-recombinase knock-in mouse model.
abstract: Development and function of mesodiencephalic dopaminergic (mdDA) neurons has received a lot of scientific interest since these neurons are critically involved in neurological diseases as Parkinson and psychiatric diseases as schizophrenia, depression and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The understanding of the molecular processes that lead to normal development and function of mdDA neurons has provided insight in the pathology and provided critical information on new treatment paradigms. In order to be able to study specific genetic ablation in mdDA neurons a new tools was developed that drives Cre-recombinase under the control of the Pitx3 locus. The Pitx3 gene is well known for its specific expression in mdDA neurons and is present at the onset of terminal differentiation. Analysis of newly generated Pitx3-Cre knock-in mice shows that Cre expression, measured through the activation of eYfp by removal of a "Stop" signal (LoxP-Stop-LoxP-eYfp reporter mouse), is present at the onset of terminal differentiation and mimics closely the native Pitx3 expression domain. In conclusion, we present here a new Cre-driver mouse model to be used in the restricted ablation of interesting genes in mdDA neurons in order to improve our understanding of the underlying molecular programming.
authors.affiliation: Molecular Neuroscience, Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.p.smidt@uva.nl
authors.forename: Marten P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Smidt
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: von Oerthel
authors.forename: Elisa J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Hoekstra
authors.forename: Raymond D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Schellevis
authors.forename: Marco F M
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Hoekman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001289:Attention Deficit Disorder with Hyperactivity / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology*; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000502:physiology*; D003863:Depression / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D004027:Diencephalon / Q000166:cytology / Q000196:embryology*; D059290:Dopaminergic Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D055879:Gene Knock-In Techniques; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D056426:Genetic Loci / Q000502:physiology*; D018398:Homeodomain Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D014157:Transcription Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D018398:Homeodomain Proteins; D014157:Transcription Factors; C433629:homeobox protein PITX3; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases