STOCK Slc17a6^tm2(cre)Lowl/J

Stock number: 016963
Product name: Vglut2-ires-cre
Research areas: Cancer Research, Neurobiology Research, Research Tools

Description

Vglut2-ires-Cre knock-in mice have Cre recombinase expression directed to excitatory glutamatergic neuron cell bodies, without disrupting endogenous vesicular glutamate transporter 2 expression. These mice may be used to generate conditional mutations for studying gain-or-loss of function and/or fate mapping related to glutamatergic neurons.
Of note, the same Vglut2-ires-Cre knock-in allele is also available on a C57BL/6J genetic background as Stock No. 028863.

Detailed description

Mice that are homozygous for the Slc17a6^tm2(cre)Lowl (also called Vglut2-ires-Cre) knock-in mutation are viable and fertile with no reported abnormalities. Cre recombinase activity is detected in excitatory glutamatergic, VGLUT2 positive, neuron cell bodies in the thalamus, paraventricular nucleus, nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract, basolateral nucleus of the amygdala, ventromedial hypothalamus, piriform cortex, posterior hypothalamus, ventral premammillary nucleus, subthalamic nucleus, medial geniculate nucleus, reticulotegmental nucleus, pontine gray, external cuneate nucleus, and lateral reticular nucleus. When crossed with a strain containing loxP sequences, Cre-mediated recombination results in tissue-specific deletion of flanked sequences in the offspring.

Development

The Vglut2-ires-Cre knock-in allele was designed by Dr. Bradford Lowell (Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center / Harvard). A targeting vector was designed to insert an internal ribosome entry site-linked Cre recombinase gene downstream of the stop codon of the solute carrier family 17 (sodium-dependent inorganic phosphate cotransporter), member 6 gene (Slc17a6 or VGLUT2) on chromosome 7. The construct was electroporated into 129S6/SvEvTac derived W4 embryonic stem (ES) cells. Correctly targeted ES cells were injected into recipient blastocysts. The resulting chimeric animals were crossed to C57BL/6 mice, and then crossed to FVB. In 2012, Vglut2-ires-Cre knock-in mice on a mixed C57BL/6;FVB;129S6 genetic background (with black coat color) were sent to The Jackson Laboratory Repository. Upon arrival, sperm was cryopreserved. An aliquot of that frozen sperm was used to fertilize C57BL/6J oocytes (Stock No. 000664) and rederive our live colony as Stock No. 016963, which was thereafter maintained by breeding mutant mice together. Because the live mice are on a mixed C57BL/6;FVB;129S6 genetic background, they may exhibit various coat colors (albino, agouti, black).

Allele

Symbol: Slc17a6^tm2(cre)Lowl
Name: targeted mutation 2, Bradford B Lowell
MGI accession ID: MGI:5141269
Generation method: Targeted
Attributes: Recombinase-expressing
Marker symbol: Slc17a6
Marker name: solute carrier family 17 (sodium-dependent inorganic phosphate cotransporter), member 6
Chromosome: 7
Strain of origin: 129S6/SvEvTac
Expressed genes: cre,cre recombinase,bacteriophage P1
Site of expression: Cre recombinase activity is detected in excitatory glutamatergic, VGLUT2 positive, neuron cell bodies in the thalamus, paraventricular nucleus, nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract, basolateral nucleus of the amygdala, ventromedial hypothalamus, piriform cortex, posterior hypothalamus, ventral premammillary nucleus, subthalamic nucleus, medial geniculate nucleus, reticulotegmental nucleus, pontine gray, external cuneate nucleus, and lateral reticular nucleus.
Molecular note: A targeting vector, constructed from a BAC clone containing the Slc17a6 (Vglut2) gene, was utilized to insert an internal ribosomal entry site followed by the cre recombinase sequence into the Slc17a6 locus just downstream of the endogenous stop codon. Cre is expressed from the Slc17a6 gene promoter.