Methodology
Inducible Cre transgenic mouse strain for skeletal muscle-specific gene targeting
1 Center for Muscle Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
2 Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
3 Integrated Biomedical Sciences Program, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
4 Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Health Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
5 Department of Physiology, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok, 10400, Thailand
6 Department of Physiology, College of Medicine, University of Kentucky, 800 Rose Street, Lexington, KY, 40536, USA
Skeletal Muscle 2012, 2:8 doi:10.1186/2044-5040-2-8
Published: 7 May 2012Abstract
Background
The use of the Cre/loxP system for gene targeting has been proven to be a powerful tool for understanding gene function. The purpose of this study was to create and characterize an inducible, skeletal muscle-specific Cre transgenic mouse strain.
Methods
To achieve skeletal muscle-specific expression, the human α-skeletal actin promoter was used to drive expression of a chimeric Cre recombinase containing two mutated estrogen receptor ligand-binding domains.
Results
Western blot analysis, PCR and β-galactosidase staining confirmed that Cre-mediated recombination was restricted to limb and craniofacial skeletal muscles only after tamoxifen administration.
Conclusions
A transgenic mouse was created that allows inducible, gene targeting of floxed genes in adult skeletal muscle of different developmental origins. This new mouse will be of great utility to the skeletal muscle community.
