title: Hematopoietic stem cell-specific GFP-expressing transgenic mice generated by genetic excision of a pan-hematopoietic reporter gene.
abstract: Selective labeling of specific cell types by expression of green fluorescent protein (GFP) within the hematopoietic system would have great utility in identifying, localizing, and tracking different cell populations in flow cytometry, microscopy, lineage tracing, and transplantation assays. In this report, we describe the generation and characterization of a new transgenic mouse line with specific GFP labeling of all nucleated hematopoietic cells and platelets. This new "Vav-GFP" mouse line labels the vast majority of hematopoietic cells with GFP during both embryonic development and adulthood, with particularly high expression in hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells (HSPCs). With the exception of transient labeling of fetal endothelial cells, GFP expression is highly selective for hematopoietic cells and persists in donor-derived progeny after transplantation of HSPCs. Finally, we also demonstrate that the loxP-flanked reporter allows for specific GFP labeling of different hematopoietic cell subsets when crossed to various Cre reporter lines. By crossing Vav-GFP mice to Flk2-Cre mice, we obtained robust and highly selective GFP expression in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). These data describe a new mouse model capable of directing GFP labeling exclusively of hematopoietic cells or exclusively of HSCs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA.
authors.forename: Jessica
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Perez-Cunningham
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA.
authors.forename: Scott W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Boyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Landon
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular Engineering, Institute for the Biology of Stem Cells, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA. Electronic address: cforsber@soe.ucsc.edu.
authors.forename: E Camilla
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Forsberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers; D019070:Cell Lineage; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D015870:Gene Expression; D018390:Gene Targeting / Q000379:methods; D017930:Genes, Reporter; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation; D006412:Hematopoietic Stem Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D016130:Immunophenotyping; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D010641:Phenotype; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins