These Ccl2-RFPlox/lox mice contain loxP sites flanking exons 2-3 of the chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (Ccl2 or Mcp1) gene, as well as an HA peptide followed by an aphthovirus 2A cleavage site and a cleavable red fluorescent protein (mcherry) at the 3' end of exon 3. Homozygous mice are viable and fertile. MCP1 is a chemokine required for the movement of monocytes from bone marrow into the blood stream during their recruitment to sites of injury and infection. Fluorescence is seen in all MCP1 expressing cells. When these mutant mice are bred to mice that express Cre recombinase, resulting offspring will have exons 2-3, as well as RFP expression, deleted in the cre-expressing tissue. Deletion of MCP1 results in decreased monocyte emigration from the bone marrow upon LPS stimulation and
increased susceptibility to infection. These mice may be useful for studying emigration of inflammatory monocytes from the bone marrow after infection.
When bred to mice carrying Tg(Tek-cre)12Flv (Stock No. 004128) and induced by LPS or bacterial infection, Cre recombinase expression in endothelial cells results in abnormal monocyte migration.
When bred to mice carrying Tg(Nes-cre)1Kln (Stock No. 003771) and induced by LPS or bacterial infection, Cre recombinase expression in the nervous system results in abnormal monocyte migration.
