The development of conditional gene targeting has greatly advanced our knowledge of human retinal diseases, but issues have arisen related to the use of some Cre-expressing mouse lines. In this article, we discuss potential problems associated with transgenic Cre expression-induced degeneration and alteration of rod photoreceptors and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE). Our strategy for circumventing RPE degeneration by induced transient Cre expression uses a single intravitreal doxycycline injection in a tetracycline-inducible RPE-specific Cre mouse line, which results in productive Cre-mediated recombination efficiently in the RPE. As constitutive expression of Cre in the RPE alters RPE biology, this inducible Cre/lox system provides an opportunity for conditional gene targeting in the RPE, a tissue that is closely related to photoreceptor degeneration, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy.
Keywords: Cre/lox; Degeneration; Photoreceptor; RPE; Tetracycline-inducible.