STOCK Tg(Hoxb6-cre)#Mku/J

Stock number: 017981
Research areas: Developmental Biology Research, Research Tools

Description

These mice express cre recombinase under the direction of Hoxb6 and are useful for studying gene function during the early stages of limb development.

Detailed description

These mice express Cre recombinase under the control of the mouse homeobox B6 (Hoxb6) lateral plate mesoderm (LPM) enhancer region. HOXB6 is a transcription factor that regulates anterior-posterior axis positioning during development. Hoxb6-Cre is expressed throughout the lateral plate mesoderm at E8.5, in mesoderm of the hindlimb bud at E9.5, and in the entire hindlimb by E11.5. In the forelimb, Cre activity is detected at the posterior end during limb initiation and then extends anterior until nearly the entire limb bud is positive by E11.5. Homozygotes are viable and fertile. When crossed with a strain containing a loxP site-flanked sequence, Cre-mediated recombination results in deletion of the flanked sequence in Cre-expressing tissues of the offspring.

For example, when bred to a strain expressing a floxed-fibroblast growth factor receptor 1 (Fgfr1) gene, the resulting mice exhibit malformed hindlimbs and abnormal posterior portions of the forelimbs. The limb buds display reduced proximal-distal height and increased dorsal-ventral length.

Development

A transgenic construct containing cre coding sequence under the control of the mouse homeobox B6 (Hoxb6) lateral plate mesoderm (LPM) enhancer region was introduced into FVB/N donor oocytes. The resulting Hoxb6-Cre offspring were bred to FVB/N mice to establish a colony. These mice were then bred to mice on unknown backgrounds, and the donating investigator reports that the mice had all other contaminating alleles bred out of the mice sent to The Jackson Laboratory. Upon arrival, mice were bred to C57BL/6J mice (Stock No. 000664) for at least one generation.

Allele

Symbol: Tg(Hoxb6-cre)#Mku
Name: transgene insertion, Michael R Kuehn
MGI accession ID: MGI:4366041
Generation method: Transgenic
Attributes: Recombinase-expressing
Marker symbol: Tg(Hoxb6-cre)#Mku
Marker name: transgene insertion, Michael R Kuehn
Chromosome: UN
Strain of origin: FVB/N
Expressed genes: cre,cre recombinase,bacteriophage P1
Site of expression: This promoter is active in extraembryonic mesoderm at E7.5, the lateral plate mesoderm and the midbrain/hindbrain boundary by E8.5-E9.5, and the developing fore and hind limbs by E10.5-E11.5.
Molecular note: This transgene expresses Cre recombinase under the control of the Hoxb6 promoter. This promoter is active in extraembryonic mesoderm at E7.5, the lateral plate mesoderm and the midbrain/hindbrain boundary by E8.5-E9.5, and the developing fore and hind limbs by E10.5-E11.5.