B6.FVB-Tg(Gh1-cre)bKnmn/J

Stock number: 011069
Research areas: Research Tools

Description

Cre recombinase activity is observed in the pituitary and other tissues in these mice. This transgenic strain may be useful for generating conditional mutations for studying development of the anterior pituitary.

Detailed description

These transgenic mice express Cre recombinase under the control of the rat growth hormone gene, Gh1. Mice homozygous for the transgenic insert are viable, fertile, normal in size and do not display any gross physical or behavioral abnormalities. Cre recombinase gene product (mRNA) is detected in the pituitary and, at lower levels, in the testis by RT-PCR of tissues from 8-10 week old mice. Cre recombinase expression is also detected by RT-PCR analysis of cephalic extracts from hemizygous embryos aged embryonic day 17. Recombination is detected in the anterior pituitary gland, in the somatotrope cells and a subset of the lactotrope cells. Cre recombinase expression is not detected in the ovary, hypothalamus, cortex, cerebelum, heart, lung, liver, spleen, kidney, adrenal, pancreas, stomach, adipose or uterus.

Development

A transgenic construct containing sequence encoding Cre recombinase under the control of the rat growth hormone gene, Gh1 was injected into FVB/N oocytes. Founder line b was subsequently established. The mice were then backcrossed to C57BL/6 for 13 generations. Upon arrival at The Jackson Laboratory, the mice were crossed to C57BL/6J (Stock No. 000664) at least once to establish the colony.

Allele

Symbol: Tg(Gh1-cre)bKnmn
Name: transgene insertion b, Rhonda D Kineman
MGI accession ID: MGI:4442901
Generation method: Transgenic
Attributes: Recombinase-expressing
Marker symbol: Tg(Gh1-cre)bKnmn
Marker name: transgene insertion b, Rhonda D Kineman
Chromosome: UN
Strain of origin: FVB
Expressed genes: cre,cre recombinase,bacteriophage P1
Site of expression: RT-PCR results demonstrate high levels of cre mRNA expression in the pituitary, lower levels in the testis, and no expression in any other tissues. (Cre expression is also detected in cephalic extracts from animals at E17.
Molecular note: A 310 bp fragment 5' of the initiation codon of the rat growth hormone gene (Gh1) was used to drive cre recombinase in the construct. The purified construct was injected into FVB zygotes. Line b was determined (by Southern blot) to carry 3 copies of the insertion was established and analyzed in detail. RT-PCR results demonstrated high levels of cre mRNA expression in the pituitary, lower levels in the testis, and no expression in any other tissues. (Cre expression was also detected in cephalic extracts from animals at E17.)