B6;D2-Tg(Myh6*-mCherry)2Mik/J

Stock number: 021577
Product name: αMHC-mCherry
Research areas: Cardiovascular Research, Developmental Biology Research, Internal/Organ Research, Research Tools

Description

The α-MHC-mCherry transgene has a modified mouse alpha myosin heavy-chain (Myh6) promoter sequence directing cardiac-specific mCherry expression in cardiomyocytes. These αMHC-mCherry transgenic mice may be useful in studying cardiac regeneration/myogenesis following infarction.

Detailed description

The α-MHC-mCherry transgene has a modified mouse alpha myosin heavy-chain (Myh6) promoter sequence directing cardiac-specific mCherry expression in cardiomyocytes. mCherry expression may be observed in cardiomyocytes by direct/native fluorescence. The donating investigator reports that mCherry fluorescence is very strong and is visible through the chest wall of neonatal mice. The donating investigator reports that homozygous mice are viable and fertile, with no reported phenotypic abnormalities.

Of note, the same donating investigator has several strains at The Jackson Laboratory Repository; including these αMHC-mCherry transgenic mice (Stock No. 021577), the smooth-muscle tool strain smMHC/Cre/eGFP (Stock No. 007742), the cholinergic/neuromuscular tool strain ChAT(BAC)-eGFP (Stock No. 007902), and the conditional cardiac-expressing eGFP-calmodulin fusion protein strain ccGCaMP2 (Stock No. 012477).

Development

The α-MHC-mCherry transgene contains a cardiac-specific alpha myosin heavy-chain (Myh6) mouse promoter sequence upstream of an mCherry fluorescent protein cDNA sequence. The modified mouse Myh6 promoter sequence is minimally active/attenuated through the ablation of three GATA sites and two thyroid-like response elements, thereby directing cardiac-specific mCherry expression and decreased background expression. The ~6.9 kbp α-MHC-mCherry transgene was injected into (C57BL/6J x DBA/2NCrl)F2 mouse oocytes. Founder mice were bred with C57BL/6J mice to establish the colony. αMHC-mCherry transgenic mice from founder line 2 were found to have extremely bright mCherry fluorescence in the heart at all stages of development. This founder line was subsequently bred to C57BL/6J mice for a total of two generations. Transgenic mice were then bred together for at least seven generations prior to sending to The Jackson Laboratory Repository. Upon arrival, sperm was cryopreserved. To generate the living colony, an aliquot of the frozen sperm was used to fertilize oocytes from C57BL/6J female mice (Stock No. 000664). The αMHC-mCherry transgenic mice were then bred together, to wildtype mice from the colony, or to C57BL/6J mice.

Allele

Symbol: Tg(Myh6*-mCherry)2Mik
Name: transgene insertion 2, Michael I Kotlikoff
MGI accession ID: MGI:5475556
Generation method: Transgenic
Attributes: Reporter
Marker symbol: Tg(Myh6*-mCherry)2Mik
Marker name: transgene insertion 2, Michael I Kotlikoff
Chromosome: UN
Strain of origin: (C57BL/6J x DBA/2NCrl)F2
Expressed genes: RFP,Red Fluorescent Protein,coral
Site of expression: mCherry expression is observed in cardiomyocytes.
Molecular note: The alpha-MHC-mCherry transgene contains a cardiac-specific alpha myosin heavy-chain (Myh6) mouse promoter sequence upstream of an mCherry fluorescent protein cDNA sequence. The modified mouse Myh6 promoter sequence is minimally active/attenuated through the ablation of three GATA sites and two thyroid-like response elements, thereby directing cardiac-specific mCherry expression and decreased background expression. Founder line 2 were found to have extremely bright mCherry fluorescence in the heart at all stages of development.