title: Development of mice with brain-specific deletion of floxed glud1 (glutamate dehydrogenase 1) using cre recombinase driven by the nestin promoter.
abstract: In the brain, Glud1-encoded glutamate dehydrogenase plays a major role in the recycling of the neurotransmitter glutamate. We recently reported a new model of brain-specific Glud1 null mice (Cns-Glud1 (-/-)) lacking glutamate dehydrogenase in the central nervous system. Cns-Glud1 (-/-) mice exhibit reduced astrocytic glutamate breakdown and redirection of glutamate pathways without altering synaptic transmission. Cns-Glud1 (-/-) mice were generated using LoxP and Nestin-Cre technology. Nestin-Cre mice are widely used to investigate gene deletion in the central nervous system. However, the Nes-Cre transgene itself was reported to induce a phenotype related to body weight gain. Here, we review the potential side-effects of Nes-Cre and analysed Cns-Glud1 (-/-) body weight gain. Overall, Nestin-Cre mice may exhibit transient and moderate growth retardation during the few weeks immediately following weaning. Pending appropriate controls and homogenization of the genetic background, Nestin-Cre technology is a valuable tool enabling disruption of genes of interest in the central nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cell Physiology and Metabolism, University of Geneva Medical Centre, 1 rue Michel-Servet, 1211, Geneva 4, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Melis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Karaca
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maechler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D005969:Glutamate Dehydrogenase; D006801:Humans; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D064231:Nestin / Q000235:genetics*; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate / Q000235:genetics*; D017384:Sequence Deletion
chemical_list: D064231:Nestin; D017470:Receptors, Glutamate; C570817:GluD1 protein, mouse; D005969:Glutamate Dehydrogenase; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases