Production of a reporter transgenic pig for monitoring Cre recombinase activity

Biochem Biophys Res Commun. 2009 May 1;382(2):232-5. doi: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2009.02.146. Epub 2009 Mar 5.

Abstract

The pig is thought to be the most suitable non-human source of organs for xenotransplantation and is widely used as a model of human disease. Using pigs as disease models requires the design of conditional Cre recombinase-loxP gene modifications, which, in turn, requires a Cre-expressing pig with defined patterns of expression controlled by the use of a tissue-specific promoter. In order to monitor Cre recombinant expression in vivo, it is important to create a reporter strain. We have generated reporter a pig that is based on a single vector that drives the ubiquitous expression of the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP). The EGFP gene is expressed only after Cre-mediated excision of loxP-flanked stop sequences. These reporter transgenic pigs will be of great value for monitoring Cre recombinase activity in vivo.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified*
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Genes, Reporter
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Integrases / genetics
  • Integrases / metabolism*
  • Sus scrofa / genetics*

Substances

  • enhanced green fluorescent protein
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Cre recombinase
  • Integrases