STOCK Dact1^tm1.2Bnrc/J

Stock number: 023715
Research areas: Developmental Biology Research, Neurobiology Research, Research Tools

Description

These Dact1^flox mice may be useful for studying embryonic and neuronal development.

Detailed description

These Dact1^flox mice possess loxP sites flanking exon 2 of the dapper homolog 1, antagonist of beta-catenin (Dact1) gene. Dact1 encodes an intracellual protein required for morphogenesis at the primitive streak, and for dendrite, spine, and excitatory synapse development in the mouse forebrain. Through interactions with the Dishevelled family of proteins, DACT1 modulates the transcriptional activation of target genes of the Wnt/beta-catenin signaling pathway as well as beta-catenin-independent branches of Wnt signaling. Homozygotes are viable and fertile. When bred to mice that express tissue-specific Cre recombinase, resulting offspring will have exon 2 deleted in the cre-expressing tissues.

For example, when bred to B6.129S2-Emx1^tm1(cre)Krj/J mice (Stock No. 005628) expressing Cre recombinase in the neurons of the neocortex and hippocampus, neurons from double mutant Dact1-deficient mice exhibit reduced dendritic spine density, spine length, and spine head width.

Development

A targeting vector was designed to insert a frt-flanked neomycin resistance (neo) cassette, followed by a loxP site, upstream of exon 2, and a second loxP site downstream of exon 2 of the dapper homolog 1, antagonist of beta-catenin (Dact1) gene. The construct was electroporated into 129Sv embryonic stem (ES) cells. Correctly targeted ES cells were injected into blastocysts and resulting chimeric mice were bred with B6.Cg-Tg(ACTFLPe)9205Dym/J transgenic mice (Stock No. 005703) to delete the neo cassette. Progeny were crossed to remove the Flp-expressing transgene. These mice were bred to C57BL/6 mice for at least 10 generations. Subsequenty, they have been bred to CAG-CAT-EGFP transgenic mice on a CD-1 background. Upon arrival, mice were bred to C57BL/6J inbred mice (Stock No. 000664) for at least one generation to establish the colony. The CAG-CAT-EGFP transgene was removed from the colony.

Allele

Symbol: Dact1^tm1.2Bnrc
Name: targeted mutation 1.2, Benjamin N R Cheyette
MGI accession ID: MGI:4442991
Generation method: Targeted
Attributes: Conditional ready (e.g. floxed); No functional change
Marker symbol: Dact1
Marker name: dishevelled-binding antagonist of beta-catenin 1
Chromosome: 12
Strain of origin: 129
Molecular note: A targeting vector was designed to insert a frt-flanked neomycin resistance (neo) cassette, followed by a loxP site, upstream of exon 2, and a second loxP site downstream of exon 2. Flp-mediated recombination removed the neo cassette leaving exon 2 floxed.