B6;129-Vmn1r51^tm2.1Dlc/J

Stock number: 025196
Research areas: Neurobiology Research, Research Tools

Description

These mice coexpress tau-lacZ from pheromone receptor Vmn1r51 enabling the analysis of sensory neuron projection patterns.

Detailed description

Vmn1r51 (vomeronasal 1 receptor 51; also called VN12) is a member of the vomeronasal organ V1R gene family, whose activation is believed to be involved with pheromone detection.

These mice co-express tau-lacZ with pheromone receptor Vmn1r51 (vomeronasal 1 receptor 51; also called VN12) enabling the analysis of sensory neuron projection patterns. This strain provides insight on the workings of olfactory coding in the vomeronasal system. Analysis of whole mounts of the nasal cavity dissected from adult homozygous mice reveals a subpopulation of vomeronasal sensory neurons whose dendrites, cell bodies, and axons display intense blue color after staining with X-gal.

Development

A IRES-tau-lacZ-loxP-Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK)-neomycin-loxP cassette was placed immediately 3' of the stop codon via homologous recombination in 129-derived embryonic stem (ES) cells. A targeted ES cell clone was transiently infected with a vector driving expression of Cre recombinase in order to delete the HSV-TK and neomycin sequences, leaving a single loxP site. This strain was maintained on a mixed C57BL/6-129 genetic background by the donating laboratory.

An allele-specific genotyping assay has not been developed for this strain.

Allele

Symbol: Vmn1r51^tm2.1Dlc
Name: targeted mutation 2.1, Catherine Dulac
MGI accession ID: MGI:5562318
Generation method: Targeted
Attributes: Reporter
Marker symbol: Vmn1r51
Marker name: vomeronasal 1 receptor 51
Chromosome: 6
Strain of origin: 129
Expressed genes: lacZ,beta-galactosidase,E. coli
Site of expression: tau-lacZ is expressed in vomeronasal sensory neurons.
Molecular note: An IRES-tau-lacZ-loxP-Herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase (HSV-TK)-neomycin-loxP cassette was placed immediately 3' of the stop codon. Cre-mediated recombination removed the HSV-TK and neomycin sequences, leaving a single loxP site.