B6;129P-Tg(Neurog1-cre/ERT2)1Good/J

Stock number: 008529
Research areas: Neurobiology Research, Research Tools

Description

When these Ngn1-CreER^T2 transgenic mice are bred with mice containing a loxP-flanked sequence of interest, tamoxifen-inducible, Cre-mediated recombination will result in deletion of the flanked sequences in Neurog1 expressing cells such as neurons in the cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus and the cochlear-vestibular ganglion. This mutant mouse strain may be useful for studying neuron development and lineage mapping of Neurog1 expressing cells.

Detailed description

These transgenic mice have a tamoxifen inducible Cre-mediated recombination system driven by the mouse neurogenin 1, Neurog1, promoter. The transgene insert contains a fusion product involving Cre recombinase and a mutant form of the mouse estrogen receptor ligand binding domain. The mutant mouse estrogen receptor does not bind natural ligand at physiological concentrations but will bind the synthetic ligand, 4-hydroxytamoxifen. Restricted to the cytoplasm, the Cre/ESR1 protein can only gain access to the nuclear compartment after exposure to tamoxifen. When crossed with a strain containing a loxP site flanked sequence of interest, the offspring are useful for generating tamoxifen-induced, Cre-mediated targeted deletions. Tamoxifen administration induces Cre recombination in the cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus and cochlear-vestibular ganglion. Hemizygous mutant mice are viable, fertile, normal in size and do not display any gross physical or behavioral abnormalities. Homozygotes are not viable. This mutant mouse strain may be useful for studying neuron development and lineage mapping of Neurog1 expressing cells.

In an attempt to offer alleles on well-characterized or multiple genetic backgrounds, alleles are frequently moved to a genetic background different from that on which an allele was first characterized. This is the case for the strain above. It should be noted that the phenotype could vary from that originally described. We will modify the strain description if necessary as published results become available.

Development

A targeting construct containing an FRT site flanked PGK-Neo cassette and sequence encoding cre/ESR1 (CreER^T2) was inserted into the single coding exon of the gene in a BAC. The PGK-neo cassette was removed by transient Flp-recombinase expression. The resulting BAC transgene was microinjected into C57BL/6 donor eggs. Founder line 7 was subsequently established. The mice were then crossed to B6129PF1/J for five generations.

Allele

Symbol: Tg(Neurog1-cre/ERT2)1Good
Name: transgene insertion 1, Lisa V Goodrich
MGI accession ID: MGI:3777275
Generation method: Transgenic
Attributes: Recombinase-expressing; Inducible
Marker symbol: Tg(Neurog1-cre/ERT2)1Good
Marker name: transgene insertion 1, Lisa V Goodrich
Chromosome: UN
Strain of origin: C57BL/6
Expressed genes: cre,cre recombinase,bacteriophage P1; ESR1,estrogen receptor 1,human
Site of expression: Cre is expressed in neurons in the cortex, hippocampus, thalamus, hypothalamus and the cochlear-vestibular ganglion.
Molecular note: A transgene was constructed where cre recombinase fused to the ligand-binding domain of a mutant human estrogen receptor was placed under the control of the upstream promoter and the downstream untranslated region of the Neurog1 gene. Cre activity was detected in cochlear ganglion neurons of transgenic mice when crossed with a cre-reporter strain and dosing with tamoxifen.