Testing the Cre-mediated genetic switch for the generation of conditional knock-in mice

PLoS One. 2019 Mar 13;14(3):e0213660. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0213660. eCollection 2019.

Abstract

The Cre-mediated genetic switch combines the ability of Cre recombinase to stably invert or excise a DNA fragment depending upon the orientation of flanking mutant loxP sites. In this work, we have tested this strategy in vivo with the aim to generate two conditional knock-in mice for missense mutations in the Impad1 and Clcn7 genes causing two different skeletal dysplasias. Targeting constructs were generated in which the Impad1 exon 2 and an inverted exon 2* and the Clcn7 exon 7 and an inverted exon 7* containing the point mutations were flanked by mutant loxP sites in a head-to-head orientation. When the Cre recombinase is present, the DNA flanked by the mutant loxP sites is expected to be stably inverted leading to the activation of the mutated exon. The targeting vectors were used to generate heterozygous floxed mice in which inversion of the wild-type with the mutant exon has not occurred yet. To generate knock-in mice, floxed animals were mated to a global Cre-deleter mouse strain for stable inversion and activation of the mutation. Unexpectedly the phenotype of homozygous Impad1 knock-in animals overlaps with the lethal phenotype described previously in Impad1 knock-out mice. Similarly, the phenotype of homozygous Clcn7 floxed mice overlaps with Clcn7 knock-out mice. Expression studies by qPCR and RT-PCR demonstrated that mutant mRNA underwent abnormal splicing leading to the synthesis of non-functional proteins. Thus, the skeletal phenotypes in both murine strains were not caused by the missense mutations, but by aberrant splicing. Our data demonstrate that the Cre mediated genetic switch strategy should be considered cautiously for the generation of conditional knock-in mice.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Alleles
  • Alternative Splicing
  • Animals
  • Bone and Bones / pathology
  • Crosses, Genetic
  • Exons
  • Female
  • Gene Knock-In Techniques*
  • Genes, Switch
  • Genotype
  • Heterozygote
  • Integrases / genetics*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Mice, Transgenic*
  • Mutation, Missense
  • Phenotype
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Recombination, Genetic
  • X-Ray Microtomography

Substances

  • Cre recombinase
  • Integrases

Grants and funding

The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement n. 602300 (SYBIL) (to DS, AF, AT and AR), Fondazione Telethon, Italy (grant n. GEP15062 to AR and GGP14014 to AT), MIUR “Dipartimenti di Eccellenza 2018-2022” (to AF and AR), MIUR “ Progetti di ricerca di rilevante interesse nazionale” (PRIN 2015F3JHMB to AT and AR) and “Fondo di finanziamento per le attività base di ricerca” (FFABR to MC). Animal model development at PolyGene AG was performed as a directly funded, nonprofit activity aimed at delivering animal models to partner groups in the European SYBILconsortium. No financial profit except funded remuneration for the works performed was generated, and no intellectual property was obtained. The SYBIL Grant Agreement retains no rights for animal models to PolyGene AG. The funders provided support in the form of salaries for authors SS, CP and LM, but did not have any additional role in the study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. The specific roles of these authors are articulated in the ‘author contributions’ section.