B6.Cg-Tg(Rho-VEGFA)029Rkcz/TvbJ

Stock number: 040176
Product name: Kimba
Research areas: Cardiovascular Research, Sensorineural Research

Description

Kimba mice express the human VEGFA (vascular endothelial growth factor A; also called VEGF165 or hVEGF) cDNA driven by a truncated mouse rhodopsin promoter. These are a model for slow progressive retinal neovascularisation through vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) upregulation.

Detailed description

Retinal neovascularisation, a major cause of blindness in the developed world, is characteristic of many eye diseases including retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), retinal vein occlusion, and diabetic retinopathy (DR). Mechanisms have been linked with hypoxia. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been a favored molecule for study since it is hypoxia-induced.

Kimba mice express the human VEGFA (vascular endothelial growth factor A; also called VEGF165 or hVEGF) cDNA driven by a truncated mouse rhodopsin promoter. The promoter was truncated to exclude the enhancer region (-1575 to -1477) with the aim of driving lower hVEGF levels to induce less severe neovascular changes.

Founder line 029 mice, expressing low hVEGF levels, show mild clinical changes such as focal fluorescein leakage, microaneurysms, venous tortuosity, capillary non-perfusion and minor neovascularisation, which remains stable up to 3 months postnatal. Retinopathy is detectable by 10 days of age. Histologically, there are some disturbances and thinning of inner and outer nuclear layers, with occasional focal areas of neovascularization. These animals are a mouse model for slow progressive retinal neovascularisation through vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) upregulation.

Development

Human VEGFA (also called VEGF165) cDNA and a bovine growth hormone polyadenylation signal sequence are expressed from a truncated mouse rhodopsin promoter (PMID:14516435; Genbank:200144) lacking the enhancer region (-1575 to -1477). The transgenic mutation is believed to have been created in C57BL/6J embryos. This strain has been maintained on a C57BL/6J background by the donating laboratory. Upon arrival, sperm was cryopreserved. To establish a live colony, an aliquot of frozen sperm was used to fertilize C57BL/6J oocytes (Stock No. 000664).

Allele

Symbol: Tg(Rho-VEGFA)029Rkcz
Name: transgene insertion 029, Elizabeth Piroska Rakoczy
MGI accession ID: MGI:7539685
Generation method: Transgenic
Attributes: Inserted expressed sequence
Synonyms: KIMBA; trVEGF029
Marker symbol: Tg(Rho-VEGFA)029Rkcz
Marker name: transgene insertion 029, Elizabeth Piroska Rakoczy
Chromosome: UN
Strain of origin: Not Specified
Molecular note: A human VEGF 165 isoform cDNA is expressed under the control of a truncated mouse rhodopsin promoter. Lines 029, 050, 056, and 094 were generated and show phenotype, and line 029 was studied further and distributed. Line 029 is also known as "Kimba".