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Characterization of transgene expression and Cre recombinase activity in a panel of Thy‐1 promoter‐Cre transgenic mice
Author(s) -
Campsall Katrina D.,
Mazerolle Chantal J.,
De Repentingy Yves,
Kothary Rashmi,
Wallace Valerie A.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
developmental dynamics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.634
H-Index - 141
eISSN - 1097-0177
pISSN - 1058-8388
DOI - 10.1002/dvdy.10092
Subject(s) - biology , transgene , cre recombinase , genetically modified mouse , microbiology and biotechnology , reporter gene , gene expression , gene , genetics
The regulatory elements of the murine Thy1.2 gene were used to drive Cre recombinase expression in the nervous system (NS) of transgenic mice. Eleven Thy1‐Cre lines exhibited transgene expression in several regions of the central and peripheral nervous systems, including the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, spinal cord, retina, and dorsal root ganglion. Thy1‐Cre expression also resulted in region‐specific activation of Cre reporter transgenes. Although Thy‐1 expression is normally initiated in postmitotic neurons in the perinatal period, we show that the Thy‐1.2 expression cassette drives Cre expression in immature proliferative zones in the NS as early as embryonic day 11 and in non‐neural tissue. The Thy1.2 transgene cassette, therefore, does not impart transgene expression that is restricted to the NS or to postmitotic neurons within the NS. This panel of Thy1‐Cre transgenic mice, however, will be useful reagents for the ablation of genes whose transcripts are spatially or temporally restricted in the developing NS. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.