STOCK Mc4r^tm2.2Lowl/J

Stock number: 023720
Product name: Mc4r^flox
Research areas: Immunology, Inflammation and Autoimmunity Research, Neurobiology Research, Research Tools

Description

Mc4r^flox mice possess loxP sites flanking the entire coding region of the melanocortin 4 receptor (Mc4r) gene. These mice may be useful when studying neurobiology, obesity, diabetes, hunger/appetite, and fat and energy metabolism.

Detailed description

Mc4r^flox mice possess loxP sites flanking the entire coding region of the melanocortin 4 receptor (Mc4r) gene. MC4R is a member of the rhodopsin family of 7-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors and is involved in energy homeostasis, somatic growth, pigmentation and inflammation. Mice that are homozygous for this allele are viable and fertile. When these mutant mice are bred to mice that express Cre recombinase, resulting offspring will have then entire coding region of Mc4r deleted in cre-expressing tissues.

Development

The Mc4r^flox targeting vector was designed to insert a loxP-site in the 5’ UTR, and a second loxP site followed by a frt-flanked kanamycin resistance cassette downstream of the 3’UTR of the melanocortin 4 receptor (Mc4r) gene. The construct was electroporated into 129S6/SvEvTac-derived W4 embryonic stem (ES) cells. Correctly targeted ES cells were injected into blastocysts and resulting chimeric males were bred with 129S4/SvJaeSor-Gt(ROSA)26Sor^tm1(FLP1)Dym/J (Stock No. 003946) females to delete the kanamycin cassette. Resulting Mc4r^flox mice were crossed to remove the Flp-expressing allele, and were subsequently bred to C57BL/6 mice. Mice were maintained on a mixed genetic background. Upon arrival, sperm was cryopreserved. To establish our live colony, an aliquot of frozen sperm was used to fertilize C57BL/6J oocytes (Stock No. 000664).

Allele

Symbol: Mc4r^tm2.2Lowl
Name: targeted mutation 2.2, Bradford B Lowell
MGI accession ID: MGI:5824370
Generation method: Targeted
Attributes: Conditional ready (e.g. floxed); No functional change
Marker symbol: Mc4r
Marker name: melanocortin 4 receptor
Chromosome: 18
Strain of origin: 129S6/SvEvTac
Molecular note: One loxP site was inserted in the 5'UTR and a second loxP site followed by a FRT-flanked kanamycin resistance cassette was inserted in the 3'UTR. The single coding exon is thus flanked by loxP sites. Flp-mediated recombination removed the FRT-flanked kanamycin cassette.