C57BL/6-Tyr^c-Brd Tg(Gh1-luc/EGFP)D8Mrln/J

Stock number: 027662
Product name: Glowing Head on B6
Research areas: Cancer Research, Research Tools

Description

These Glowing Head transgenic mice on an albino C57BL/6 background are immunologically tolerant to firefly luciferase and Enhanced Green Fluorescent protein, and can be used as a host for labeled syngeneic tumor transplantation.

Detailed description

These Glowing Head (GH) transgenic mice express the ffLuc-eGFP (firefly luciferase-Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein) fusion gene under the control of the rat growth hormone (Gh1) gene promoter. Transgene expression is targeted to the non-immune privileged anterior pituitary and does not interfere with pituitary function, as assessed by serum growth hormone levels. Bioluminescence is detected in the head and testes by in vivo imaging. Antigenicity of xenobiotic makers, including luciferase and GFP, causes decrease in both the growth and metastatic potential of the labeled tumor in immunocompetent mice. These transgenic mice are immune-tolerant to firefly luciferase and Enhanced Green Fluorescent protein, and can be used as an allograft recipient for labeled syngeneic tumor transplantation, avoiding the effects of xenobiotic/antigenic reporters on testing therapeutic agents. Metastases originating from transplanted ffLuc-eGFP-labeled cancer cells or tumors are increased in GH mice compared to similarly treated wildtype controls and BALB/c background NOD/SCID mice (see Stock No. 017619). Mice that are homozygous for the transgene are viable and fertile. Homozygous mice may have a two-fold increase in head bioluminescence intensity.

This Glowing Head transgene is also available on a FVB/N genetic background: Stock No. 027665, and a BALB/c genetic background: Stock No. 027848.

Development

A transgenic construct containing the ffLuc-eGFP (firefly luciferase-Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein) fusion gene under the control of the rat growth hormone (Gh1) gene promoter was injected into C57BL/6 blastocysts. Founder line D8 animals were bred to B6N-Tyr^c-Brd/BrdCrCrl mice. The strain was maintained as albino. Upon arrival at The Jackson Laboratory, the mice were crossed to C57BL/6NJ (Stock No. 005304) at least once to establish the colony.

In 2022, a 48 SNP (single nucleotide polymorphism) panel analysis, with 43 markers covering all 19 chromosomes and the X chromosome, as well as 5 markers that distinguish between the C57BL/6J and C57BL/6N substrains, was performed on the rederived living colony at The Jackson Laboratory Repository. Three of the 5 markers that determine C57BL/6J from C57BL/6N were found to be segregating. These data suggest the mice sent to The Jackson Laboratory Repository were on a mixed C57BL/6N;C57BL/6J genetic background.

Allele

Symbol: Tyr^c-Brd
Name: albino, Allan Bradley
MGI accession ID: MGI:3640303
Generation method: Spontaneous
Synonyms: c^Brd; C57BL/6^c-
Marker symbol: Tyr
Marker name: tyrosinase
Marker synonyms: ATN; CMM8; Oca1; OCA1A; OCAIA; SHEP3; skc35
Chromosome: 7
Strain of origin: C57BL/6
Site of expression: Melanocytes.
Molecular note: This mutation arose spontaneously in or around 1991 in the C57BL/6 colony of Dr. Alan Bradley. It has been used in linkage studies based on the location of the tyrosinase gene on Chr 7, and its phenotype is complemented by a tyrosinase mini-gene. Sequence analysis of exon 1 identified the same G-to-T transversion at coding nucleotide 230 (c.230G>T), resulting in replacement of arginine by leucine at amino acid position 77 (p.R77L), that is present in the albino 2 Jackson allele Tyr^c-2J. It reverts at a very low frequency (there were two incidences in the original colony between 1992 and 1995), resulting in black pups in otherwise albino litters.

Allele

Symbol: Tg(Gh1-luc/EGFP)D8Mrln
Name: transgene insertion D8, Glenn Merlino
MGI accession ID: MGI:5641191
Generation method: Transgenic
Attributes: Reporter
Synonyms: GH; Glowing Head; rGH-ffLuc-eGFP; Tg(Gnrhr-luc/EGFP)D8Mrln
Marker symbol: Tg(Gh1-luc/EGFP)D8Mrln
Marker name: transgene insertion D8, Glenn Merlino
Marker synonyms: Tg(Gnrhr-luc/EGFP)D8Mrln
Chromosome: UN
Strain of origin: C57BL/6
Expressed genes: luc,luciferase,firefly; GFP,Green Fluorescent Protein,
Site of expression: The firefly luciferase-eGFP fusion gene is expressed in the anterior pituitary gland and testes.
Molecular note: The transgenic construct contains a firefly luciferase (ffLuc)-eGFP fusion gene under the control of the rat growth hormone gene promoter and human growth hormone sequences. Reporter activity (by bioluminescent imaging) is detected in the anterior pituitary gland and testes.