title: Generation of BAF53b-Cre transgenic mice with pan-neuronal Cre activities.
abstract: Molecular and functional studies of genes in neurons in mouse models require neuron-specific Cre lines. The current available neuronal Cre transgenic or knock-in lines either result in expression in a subset of neurons or expression in both neuronal and non-neuronal tissues. Previously we identified BAF53b as a neuron-specific subunit of the chromatin remodeling BAF complexes. Using a bacteria artificial chromosome (BAC) construct containing the BAF53b gene, we generated a Cre transgenic mouse under the control of BAF53b regulatory elements. Like the endogenous BAF53b gene, we showed that BAF53b-Cre is largely neuron-specific. In both central and peripheral nervous systems, it was expressed in all developing neurons examined and was not observed in neural progenitors or glial cells. In addition, BAF53b-Cre functioned in primary cultures in a pan-neuron-specific manner. Thus, BAF53b-Cre mice will be a useful genetic tool to manipulate gene expression in developing neurons for molecular, biochemical, and functional studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.|Center for the Genetics of Host Defense, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
authors.forename: Xiaoming
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
authors.forename: Mou
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Department of Developmental Biology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: Andrew S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Yoo
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
authors.forename: Zilai
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Developmental Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, California.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology and Developmental Biology, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Stanford University Medical School, Stanford, California.
authors.forename: Gerald R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Crabtree
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas.
authors.forename: Jiang I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone / Q000378:metabolism; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D019426:Integrases / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D023421:Models, Animal; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000199:Actins; D002868:Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone; D004268:DNA-Binding Proteins; C045073:Cre recombinase; D019426:Integrases
keywords: genetics; mammal; organism