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Transgenic Xenopus laevis strain expressing cre recombinase in muscle cells
Author(s) -
Waldner Christoph,
Sakamaki Kazuhiro,
Ueno Naoto,
Turan Gülüzar,
Ryffel Gerhart U.
Publication year - 2006
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.20880
Subject(s) - xenopus , biology , recombinase , transgene , cre recombinase , reporter gene , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , site specific recombination , genetically modified mouse , genetics , gene expression , recombination
For reproducible analyses of gene function in Xenopus , the use of transgenic strains is a promising approach but has limitations when investigating factors interfering with development. Therefore, inducible systems are attractive alternatives, and a binary system based on recombinases is a most versatile approach. We have shown previously that Cre and FLP recombinases are active in Xenopus laevis and can induce a silent reporter gene in a corresponding reporter strain. Here, we describe the establishment of the transgenic Xenopus laevis strain A7 expressing Cre recombinase under the control of the muscle‐specific cardiac actin promoter. Upon crossing to several distinct reporter strains, A7 is able to induce EYFP, DsRed2, or LacZ reporter genes in a muscle‐specific manner. This first Cre‐expressing strain allows conditional activation of any gene of interest in muscle cells and, thus, opens up the use of recombinases as a new experimental strategy in Xenopus . Developmental Dynamics 235:2220–2228, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.