Transgenic mice for a tamoxifen-induced, conditional expression of the Cre recombinase in osteoclasts

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • Maria Arantzazu Sanchez-Fernandez - , Professur für Proteomik (Autor:in)
  • Silvia Sbacchi - , Technische Universität Dresden (Autor:in)
  • Miguel Correa-Tapia - , Technische Universität Dresden (Autor:in)
  • Ronald Naumann - , Max Planck Institute of Molecular Cell Biology and Genetics (Autor:in)
  • Jennifer Klemm - , Technische Universität Dresden (Autor:in)
  • Pierre Chambon - , Université de Strasbourg (Autor:in)
  • Samiya Al-Robaiy - , Universität Leipzig (Autor:in)
  • Manfred Blessing - , Universität Leipzig (Autor:in)
  • Bernard Hoflack - , Professur für Proteomik (Autor:in)

Abstract

Background: Studies on osteoclasts, the bone resorbing cells, have remained limited due to the lack of transgenic mice allowing the conditional knockout of genes in osteoclasts at any time during development or adulthood. Methodology/Principal Finding: We report here on the generation of transgenic mice which specifically express a tamoxifen-inducible Cre recombinase in osteoclasts. These mice, generated on C57BL/6 and FVB background, express a fusion Cre recombinase-ERT2 protein whose expression is driven by the promoter of cathepsin K (CtsK), a gene highly expressed in osteoclasts. We tested the cellular specificity of Cre activity in CtsKCreERT2 strains by breeding with Rosa26LacZ reporter mice. PCR and histological analyses of the CtsKCreERT2LacZ positive adult mice and E17.5 embryos show that Cre activity is restricted largely to bone tissue. In vitro, primary osteoclasts derived from the bone marrow of CtsKCreERT2+/-LacZ+/- adult mice show a Cre-dependent β-galactosidase activity after tamoxifen stimulation. Conclusions/Significance: We have generated transgenic lines that enable the tamoxifen-induced, conditional deletion of loxP-flanked genes in osteoclasts, thus circumventing embryonic and postnatal gene lethality and avoiding gene deletion in other cell types. Such CtsKCreERT2 mice provide a convenient tool to study in vivo the different facets of osteoclast function in bone physiology during different developmental stages and adulthood of mice.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Aufsatznummere37592
FachzeitschriftPloS one
Jahrgang7
Ausgabenummer5
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 18 Mai 2012
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

PubMed 22624050