title: Foxc2CreERT2knock-in mice mark stage-specific Foxc2-expressing cells during mouse organogenesis.
abstract: Foxc2, a member of the winged helix transcription factor family, is essential for eye, calvarial bone, cardiovascular and kidney development in mice. Nevertheless, how Foxc2-expressing cells and their descendent cells contribute to the development of these tissues and organs has not been elucidated. Here, we generated a Foxc2 knock-in (Foxc2CreERT2) mouse, in which administration of estrogen receptor antagonist tamoxifen induces nuclear translocation of Cre recombinase in Foxc2-expressing cells. By crossing with ROSA-LacZ reporter mice (Foxc2CreERT2; R26R), the fate of Foxc2 positive (Foxc2+) cells was analyzed through LacZ staining at various embryonic stages. We found Foxc2+cell descendants in the supraoccipital and exoccipital bone in E18.5 embryos, when tamoxifen was administered at embryonic day (E) 8.5. Furthermore, Foxc2+descendant cranial neural crest cells at E8-10 were restricted to the corneal mesenchyme, while Foxc2+cell derived cardiac neural crest cells at E6-12 were found in the aorta, pulmonary trunk and valves, and endocardial cushions. Foxc2+cell descendant contributions to the glomerular podocytes in the kidney were also observed following E6.5 tamoxifen treatment. Our results are consistent with previous reports of Foxc2 expression during early embryogenesis and the Foxc2CreERT2mouse provides a tool to investigate spatiotemporal roles of Foxc2 and contributions of Foxc2+expressing cells during mouse embryogenesis.
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.
authors: Mohammed Badrul
authors: MB
authors: Amin
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.
authors: Naoyuki
authors: N
authors: Miura
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.
authors: Mohammad Khaja Mafij
authors: MK
authors: Uddin
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.
authors: Mohammod Johirul
authors: MJ
authors: Islam
authors: Laboratory of Developmental Genetics, Center for Experimental Medicine and Systems Biology, Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Nobuaki
authors: N
authors: Yoshida
authors: Section of Molecular Craniofacial Embryology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan.
authors: Sachiko
authors: S
authors: Iseki
authors: Erin Lambers, Feinberg Cardiovascular Research Institute, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
authors: Tsutomu
authors: T
authors: Kume
authors: Stowers Institute for Medical Research, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.|Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, Missouri, USA.
authors: Paul A
authors: PA
authors: Trainor
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.
authors: Hirotomo
authors: H
authors: Saitsu
authors: Department of Biochemistry, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan.
authors: Kazushi
authors: K
authors: Aoto
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019070:Cell Lineage / Q000235:genetics; D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D023061:Gene Order; D018390:Gene Targeting / Q000379:methods; D056426:Genetic Loci; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D059765:Homologous Recombination; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007668:Kidney / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D008648:Mesoderm / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D038081:Organogenesis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D051858:Forkhead Transcription Factors; C082078:mesenchyme fork head 1 protein
keywords: CreERT2; Foxc2; genetic lineage tracing; neural crest cell