Synapsin I Cre transgene expression in male mice produces germline recombination in progeny

✍ Scribed by D. Rempe; G. Vangeison; J. Hamilton; Y. Li; M. Jepson; H.J. Federoff

• Book ID: 102224806
• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2006
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 269 KB
• Volume: 44
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1526-954X
• DOI: 10.1002/gene.20183

✦ Synopsis

Abstract

The cre/LoxP system can produce conditional loss of gene function in specific cell types such as neurons. A transgenic mouse line, utilized by multiple studies, used the Synapsin I promoter to drive expression of cre (SynCre) to achieve neuronal‐specific cre expression. Herein we describe that cre expression can also be observed in SynCre mice within the testes after being bred into a floxed transgenic mouse line. Cre transcript was expressed in testes resulting in recombination of the floxed substrate in testes. In the majority of cases, progeny of male SynCre mice inherited a germline recombined floxed allele, while this was never observed in progeny from female mice carrying the SynCre allele. This observation should alert investigators to a potential confound using these mice and enables male germ cell “deletor” strategies. genesis 44:44–49, 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.