STOCK Tg(Pmch-cre)1Lowl/J

Stock number: 014099
Product name: Mch-Cre
Research areas: Diabetes and Obesity Research, Neurobiology Research, Research Tools

Description

These transgenic mice have the murine pro-melanin-concentrating hormone (Pmch or MCH) promoter/enhancer regions within the BAC transgene directing expression of Cre-recombinase. These mice may be useful for studying MCH-neuronal activities in controlling energy balance, glucose homeostasis, sleep, locomotion, and reward-related behaviors.

Detailed description

Pmch-cre (or MCH-Cre) transgenic mice have the murine pro-melanin-concentrating hormone (Pmch) promoter/enhancer regions within the BAC transgene directing expression of Cre-recombinase. Hemizygous Pmch-cre mice are viable, fertile, and normal in size, with cre expression directed specifically to MCH-neurons of the hypothalamus and zona incerta. When these transgenic mice are bred with mice containing a loxP-flanked sequence, Cre-mediated recombination is expected to result in deletion of the floxed sequences in the Cre recombinase-expressing neurons of the offspring. MCH neurons regulate many physiological functions by projecting through the brain. These mice may be useful for studying MCH-neuronal activities in controlling energy balance, glucose homeostasis, sleep, locomotion, and reward-related behaviors.

Development

A murine bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC), containing the pro-melanin-concentrating hormone (Mch), was modified by targeting a Cre-recombinase sequence and frt-flanked neomycin resistance (neo) cassette into the translational start site of the Mch locus. The targeted BAC sequences were further modified using FLP recombination to remove the neo cassette (update February, 2022 - this neomycin cassette may actually be intact based on genotyping results of the derived Stock 036551). This modified BAC transgene was microinjected into the pronuclei of fertilized FVB/NJ oocytes. Transgenic mice were bred to B6.129(Cg)-Tg(CAG-Bgeo/GFP)21Lbe/J mice (Stock No. 004178) to establish a colony of Mch-cre mice. These mice were subsequently maintained by breeding with mice on a C57BL/6 x 129 mixed background. These mice no longer contain the (CAG-Bgeo/GFP) transgene. Upon arrival at The Jackson Laboratory arrival, mice were bred to FVB/NJ inbred mice (Stock No. 001800) for at least one generation to establish the colony.

Allele

Symbol: Tg(Pmch-cre)1Lowl
Name: transgene insertion 1, Bradford B Lowell
MGI accession ID: MGI:4887235
Generation method: Transgenic
Attributes: Recombinase-expressing
Marker symbol: Tg(Pmch-cre)1Lowl
Marker name: transgene insertion 1, Bradford B Lowell
Chromosome: UN
Strain of origin: FVB/NJ
Expressed genes: cre,cre recombinase,bacteriophage P1
Site of expression: cre expression is directed specifically to the melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neurons of the hypothalamus and zona incerta.
Molecular note: Homologous recombination with EL250 cells was induced to insert a cre-polyA-FRT-Neo-FRT cassette into a BAC containing the Pmch (pro-melanin-concentrating hormone; MCH) at the Pmch translational start site with concomitant replacement of the 26 nucleotides following it. Arabinose-induced Flp recombination in bacterial cells removed the kanamycin cassette. The purified, linearized construct was injected into the pronuclei of FVB one-cell embryos. Eight lines were generated and crossed to Z/EG reporter animals. 2 lines exhibited GFP expression in the lateral hypothalamus and zona incerta, known sites of endogenous Pmch expression. Cre expression in one of these lines of characterized further.