title: Germ-line recombination activity of the widely used hGFAP-Cre and nestin-Cre transgenes.
abstract: Herein we demonstrate with PCR, immunodetection and reporter gene approaches that the widely used human Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (hGFAP)-Cre transgene exhibits spontaneous germ-line recombination activity in leading to deletion in brain, heart and tail tissue with high frequency. The ectopic activity of hGFAP-Cre requires a rigorous control. We likewise observed that a second widely used nestin-Cre transgene shows germ-line deletion. Here we describe procedures to identify mice with germ-line recombination mediated by the hGFAP-Cre and nestin-Cre transgenes. Such control is essential to avoid pleiotropic effects due to germ-line deletion of loxP-flanked target genes and to maintain the CNS-restricted deletion status in transgenic mouse colonies.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cellular Neurosciences, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Jiong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cellular Neurosciences, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Pavel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dublin
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cellular Neurosciences, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Stephanie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Griemsmann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology I, Medical Faculty, Life and Brain Center, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.affiliation: Anatomisches Institut, Tierärztliche Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Ralph
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Brehm
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cellular Neurosciences, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bedner
authors.affiliation: Institute of Physiology I, Medical Faculty, Life and Brain Center, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Bernd K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Fleischmann
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cellular Neurosciences, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Steinhäuser
authors.affiliation: Institute of Cellular Neurosciences, Medical Faculty, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Theis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism; D018031:Connexin 43 / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D055786:Gene Knockout Techniques; D023061:Gene Order; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism; D059765:Homologous Recombination; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism; D064231:Nestin / Q000235:genetics*; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D018031:Connexin 43; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D064231:Nestin; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases