B6;CBA-Tg(CAG-lacZ-WGA)330Bbm/J

Stock number: 006465
Research areas: Neurobiology Research, Research Tools

Description

These ZW mice harbor a Cre-conditional pCZW transgene and have widespread expression of lacZ under the control of the CMV enhancer/chicken actin promoter. When bred to mice expressing Cre recombinase, the "floxed" lacZ sequence is removed in the resulting offspring, and lacZ expression is replaced by wheat germ agglutinin (plant lectin) expression in all cre-expressing cells. These ZW mice may be useful for global expression of lacZ or, when crossed to a cre-expressing strain, for tracing transneuronal or trans-synaptic connections and circuits in brain regions or in the spinal cord.

Detailed description

These ZW transgenic mice constitutively express lacZ under the control of the CMV enhancer/chicken actin promoter. Expression is widespread, but mosaic, throughout the central and peripheral nervous systems. Purkinje cells display intense beta-galactosidase activity. Approximately 50% of the total neuron population express the transgene, as detected by beta-galactosidase activity. Newborn mice exhibit widespread beta-galactosidase activity. When crossed with a Cre recombinase-expressing strain, lacZ expression is replaced with wheat germ agglutinin (plant lectin) expression in tissues expressing cre. The double reporter system makes it possible to distinguish a lack of reporter (lacZ) expression from a lack of Cre recombinase expression while providing a means to assess Cre excision activity at the individual cell level. This transgenic mouse strain may be useful in tracing transneuronal or trans-synaptic connections and circuits in brain regions or in the spinal cord. Mice homozygous for the transgenic insert are viable, fertile, normal in size and do not display any gross physical or behavioral abnormalities.

Development

A transgenic construct containing sequence encoding a truncated wheat germ agglutinin (lacking the C-terminal) downstream of the chicken beta-actin promoter and a loxP flanked lacZ (beta-geo/3xpA) encoding sequence, was injected into the pronuclei of B6CBAF1/J donor eggs. The resulting transgenic animals were interbred.

Allele

Symbol: Tg(CAG-lacZ-WGA)330Bbm
Name: transgene insertion 330, Allan Basbaum
MGI accession ID: MGI:3052324
Generation method: Transgenic
Attributes: Reporter
Marker symbol: Tg(CAG-lacZ-WGA)330Bbm
Marker name: transgene insertion 330, Allan Basbaum
Chromosome: UN
Strain of origin: (C57BL/6J x CBA/J)F1
Expressed genes: WGA,Wheat Germ Agglutin, truncated,; lacZ,beta-galactosidase,E. coli
Site of expression: lacZ is expressed throughout central and peripheral nervous system; when crossed with a cre recombinase-expressing strain, lacZ expression is replaced with wheat germ agglutinin expression
Molecular note: The transgene is comprised of a minimal immediate-early CMV enhancer/chicken beta-actin promoter driving ubiquitous expression of a lox-P flanked beta-galactosidase/neomycin phosphotransferase II (beta-geo) fusion gene that terminates in a strong, triple polyadenylation signal, followed by a C-terminally truncated wheat germ agglutinin coding sequence. Neuron-specific excision of the beta-geo gene by cre recombinase permits expression of the lectin, whose migration allows tracing of synapses involving the expressing cells.
General note: Of three transgenic lines generated - called ZW5, ZW16 and ZW19 by Braz and colleagues (2002) - only ZW19, which exhibited the highest transmission rates, was propagated.