STOCK Prox1^{tm3(cre/ERT2)Gco}/J

Stock number: 022075
Product name: Prox1-Cre-ER^T2
Research areas: Developmental Biology Research, Internal/Organ Research, Research Tools

Description

Prox1-Cre-ER^T2 mice express tamoxifen-inducible Cre recombinase in lymphatic endothelial cells.

Detailed description

Prox1-Cre-ER^T2 mice express a Cre-ERT2 fusion protein from endogenous prospero homeobox 1 (Prox1) promoter/enhancer elements. Prox1 encodes a transcription factor (prospero-related homeobox 1) that is necessary for the formation and maintenance of lymphatic vessels. Homozygous mice are viable and fertile. When Prox1-Cre-ER^T2 mice are bred with mice containing loxP-flanked sequence, tamoxifen-inducible, Cre-mediated recombination will result in deletion of the floxed sequences in lymphatic endothelial cells, heart, lung, pancreas, and liver, but not in central nervous system.

Development

A targeting vector was designed to insert an internal ribosome entry site (IRES) fused to a CreERT2 (Cre recombinase fused to an estrogen receptor ligand binding domain) coding sequence into intron 2 of the prospero homeobox 1 (Prox1) gene. The construct also contains a polyadenylation signal and a neomycin (neo) resistance cassette downstream of the IRES-cre/ERT2 fusion protein. This construct was electroporated into 129S1/Sv-Oca2⁺ Tyr⁺ Kitl⁺-derived W9.5 embryonic stem (ES) cells. Correctly targeted ES cells were injected into recipient blastocysts. The resulting Prox1-Cre-ER^T2 mice were bred to and further maintained on an NMRI genetic background. Upon arrival at The Jackson Laboratory, mice were bred to C57BL/6J inbred mice (Stock No. 000664) for at least one generation to establish the colony.

Allele

Symbol: Prox1^{tm3(cre/ERT2)Gco}
Name: targeted mutation 3, Guillermo Oliver
MGI accession ID: MGI:3759501
Generation method: Targeted
Attributes: Recombinase-expressing; Inducible
Marker symbol: Prox1
Marker name: prospero homeobox 1
Chromosome: 1
Strain of origin: 129S1/Sv-Oca2⁺ Tyr⁺ Kitl⁺
Expressed genes: cre/ERT2,Cre recombinase and estrogen receptor 1 (human) fusion gene,
Site of expression: Cre-ERT2 fusion protein is expressed from Prox1 promoter/enhancer elements during the development of lymphatic endothelial cells.
Molecular note: A synthetic splice acceptor site, exons 3 and 4, and an IRES-cre/ERT2 cassette were inserted into intron 2 along with a neo and thymidine kinase cassettes. Insertion was confirmed by Southern blot analysis and through crosses with reporter lines. Expression of cre is tamoxifen inducible and recapitulates endogenous promoter activity specifically in the central nervous system, eye, liver, heart, branchial arches and lymphatic endothelial cells.