Generation of Rm21LG transgenic mice: a powerful tool to generate conditional overexpression of miR-21 that is involved in oncogenesis.
miR-21 is highly expressed in a variety of cancers, suggesting that it might play a role in the process of oncogenesis, as supported by it directly causing pre-B cell lymphomas in transgenic mice. Rm21LG transgenic mice for the conditional co-expression of miR-21 and luciferase (Luc) mediated by Cre/lox P system were generated. The homozygous Rm21LG transgenic mice were visually and readily characterized immediately after birth by whole-body fluorescence imaging. More importantly, miR-21 and Luc were successfully activated in the liver of Rm21LG/Alb-Cre double-transgenic mice, demonstrating that Rm21LG conditional transgenic system could work in a Cre-dependent manner. The combined use of this conditional miR-21 transgenic mouse line, various cell/tissue-specific Cre mouse lines and bioluminescence imaging will be a valuable tool in vivo to uncover the functions of miR-21 as oncomiR in initiating tumors.
Department of Endocrinology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, 250# Changgang East Road, Guangzhou, 510260, People's Republic of China, dutao163@yahoo.com.cn.
Tao
T
Du
Junshuang
J
Jia
Xiaolin
X
Lin
Raoying
R
Xie
Jing
J
Li
Dong
D
Xiao
Kang
K
Xu
D000818:Animals; D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000295:instrumentation*; D063646:Carcinogenesis / Q000235:genetics*; D015972:Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics; D008156:Luciferases / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D035683:MicroRNAs / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein
D019426:Integrases; D008156:Luciferases; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D035683:MicroRNAs; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein; C524940:MIRN21 microRNA, human; C045073:Cre recombinase