Temporal control of retroviral transgene expression in newborn cells in the adult brain

Stem Cell Reports. 2013 Jul 11;1(2):114-22. doi: 10.1016/j.stemcr.2013.06.003. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

Neural stem/progenitor cells (NSPCs) generate new neurons throughout life in distinct areas of the adult mammalian brain. Besides classical transgenesis-based approaches, retrovirus-mediated genetic manipulation is frequently used to study mechanisms that regulate neurogenesis in the nervous system. Here, we show that fusion of a tamoxifen-regulatable estrogen receptor (ER(T2)) motif to transcription factors (i.e., ASCL1 and NEUROD1) enables temporal control of transgene expression in adult mouse NSPCs in vitro and in vivo. Thus, the approach described here represents a versatile strategy for regulating gene expression to study gene function in dividing cells and their progeny.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Newborn
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors / metabolism
  • Brain / cytology*
  • Cells, Cultured
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Mice
  • Neural Stem Cells / cytology*
  • Neural Stem Cells / virology
  • Neurogenesis*
  • Receptors, Estrogen / metabolism
  • Retroviridae / genetics*
  • Transgenes

Substances

  • ASCL1 protein, human
  • Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors
  • NEUROD1 protein, human
  • Receptors, Estrogen