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Generation of a C re knock‐in into the M yocardin locus to mark early cardiac and smooth muscle cell lineages
Author(s) -
EspinozaLewis Ramón A,
Wang DaZhi
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
genesis
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.093
H-Index - 110
eISSN - 1526-968X
pISSN - 1526-954X
DOI - 10.1002/dvg.22819
Subject(s) - myocardin , biology , locus (genetics) , population , genetics , allele , myocyte , gene knockin , microbiology and biotechnology , gene , transcription factor , serum response factor , medicine , environmental health
Summary The molecular events that control cell fate determination in cardiac and smooth muscle lineages remain elusive. Myocardin is an important transcription cofactor that regulates cell proliferation, differentiation, and development of the cardiovascular system. Here, we describe the construction and analysis of a dual Cre and enhanced green fluorescent protein ( EGFP ) knock‐in mouse line in the Myocardin locus ( Myocd KI ). We report that the Myocd KI allele expresses the Cre enzyme and the EGFP in a manner that recapitulates endogenous Myocardin expression patterns. We show that Myocardin expression marks the earliest cardiac and smooth muscle lineages. Furthermore, this genetic model allows for the identification of a cardiac cell population, which maintains both Myocardin and Isl‐1 expression, in E7.75–E8.0 embryos, highlighting the contribution and merging of the first and second heart fields during cardiogenesis. Therefore, the Myocd KI allele is a unique tool for studying cardiovascular development and lineage‐specific gene manipulation. genesis 52:879–887, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.