Rax-CreERT2 knock-in mice: a tool for selective and conditional gene deletion in progenitor cells and radial glia of the retina and hypothalamus

Thomas Pak; Sooyeon Yoo; Ana L Miranda-Angulo; Hong Wang; Seth Blackshaw

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0090381

Rax-CreERT2 knock-in mice: a tool for selective and conditional gene deletion in progenitor cells and radial glia of the retina and hypothalamus

PLoS One. 2014 Apr 3;9(4):e90381. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0090381. eCollection 2014.

Authors

Thomas Pak¹, Sooyeon Yoo¹, Ana L Miranda-Angulo, Hong Wang¹, Seth Blackshaw²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.
² Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America; Department of Ophthalmology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America; Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America; Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America; Center for High-Throughput Biology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America; Institute for Cell Engineering, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, United States of America.

Abstract

To study gene function in neural progenitors and radial glia of the retina and hypothalamus, we developed a Rax-CreERT2 mouse line in which a tamoxifen-inducible Cre recombinase is inserted into the endogenous Rax locus. By crossing Rax-CreER(T2) with the Cre-dependent Ai9 reporter line, we demonstrate that tamoxifen-induced Cre activity recapitulates the endogenous Rax mRNA expression pattern. During embryonic development, Cre recombinase activity in Rax-CreER(T2) is confined to retinal and hypothalamic progenitor cells, as well as progenitor cells of the posterior pituitary. At postnatal time points, selective Cre recombinase activity is seen in radial glial-like cell types in these organs--specifically Müller glia and tanycytes--as well as pituicytes. We anticipate that this line will prove useful for cell lineage analysis and investigation of gene function in the developing and mature retina, hypothalamus and pituitary.

Publication types

Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal / pharmacology
Blotting, Southern
Cell Lineage
Eye Proteins / physiology*
Female
Gene Deletion*
Homeodomain Proteins / physiology*
Hypothalamus / cytology
Hypothalamus / drug effects
Hypothalamus / metabolism*
Immunoenzyme Techniques
Integrases / metabolism*
Male
Mice
Mice, Inbred C57BL
Mice, Transgenic
Neuroglia / cytology
Neuroglia / drug effects
Neuroglia / metabolism*
RNA, Messenger / genetics
Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction
Receptors, Estrogen / physiology*
Recombination, Genetic
Retina / cytology
Retina / drug effects
Retina / metabolism*
Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
Stem Cells / cytology
Stem Cells / drug effects
Stem Cells / metabolism*
Tamoxifen / pharmacology
Transcription Factors / physiology*

Substances

Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal
Eye Proteins
Homeodomain Proteins
RNA, Messenger
Rax protein, mouse
Receptors, Estrogen
Transcription Factors
Tamoxifen
Cre recombinase
Integrases

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Substances

Grants and funding