title: Isolation of Novel CreERT2-Driver Lines in Zebrafish Using an Unbiased Gene Trap Approach.
abstract: Gene manipulation using the Cre/loxP-recombinase system has been successfully employed in zebrafish to study gene functions and lineage relationships. Recently, gene trapping approaches have been applied to produce large collections of transgenic fish expressing conditional alleles in various tissues. However, the limited number of available cell- and tissue-specific Cre/CreERT2-driver lines still constrains widespread application in this model organism. To enlarge the pool of existing CreERT2-driver lines, we performed a genome-wide gene trap screen using a Tol2-based mCherry-T2a-CreERT2 (mCT2aC) gene trap vector. This cassette consists of a splice acceptor and a mCherry-tagged variant of CreERT2 which enables simultaneous labeling of the trapping event, as well as CreERT2 expression from the endogenous promoter. Using this strategy, we generated 27 novel functional CreERT2-driver lines expressing in a cell- and tissue-specific manner during development and adulthood. This study summarizes the analysis of the generated CreERT2-driver lines with respect to functionality, expression, integration, as well as associated phenotypes. Our results significantly enlarge the existing pool of CreERT2-driver lines in zebrafish and combined with Cre-dependent effector lines, the new CreERT2-driver lines will be important tools to manipulate the zebrafish genome.
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Center and Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden University of Technology, Fetscherstrasse 105, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Peggy
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jungke
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Center and Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden University of Technology, Fetscherstrasse 105, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Juliane
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hammer
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Center and Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden University of Technology, Fetscherstrasse 105, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hans
authors.affiliation: Biotechnology Center and Center for Regenerative Therapies Dresden, Dresden University of Technology, Fetscherstrasse 105, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brand
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D004625:Embryo, Nonmammalian; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D019426:Integrases / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008845:Microinjections; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D019076:Transgenes; D015027:Zebrafish / Q000196:embryology / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D015053:Zygote / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein
chemical_list: D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D019426:Integrases; D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D000097573:Red Fluorescent Protein; C485184:enhanced green fluorescent protein; C045073:Cre recombinase