Transgenic Xenopus laevis strain expressing cre recombinase in muscle cells

Dev Dyn. 2006 Aug;235(8):2220-8. doi: 10.1002/dvdy.20880.

Abstract

For reproducible analyses of gene function in Xenopus, the use of transgenic strains is a promising approach but has limitations when investigating factors interfering with development. Therefore, inducible systems are attractive alternatives, and a binary system based on recombinases is a most versatile approach. We have shown previously that Cre and FLP recombinases are active in Xenopus laevis and can induce a silent reporter gene in a corresponding reporter strain. Here, we describe the establishment of the transgenic Xenopus laevis strain A7 expressing Cre recombinase under the control of the muscle-specific cardiac actin promoter. Upon crossing to several distinct reporter strains, A7 is able to induce EYFP, DsRed2, or LacZ reporter genes in a muscle-specific manner. This first Cre-expressing strain allows conditional activation of any gene of interest in muscle cells and, thus, opens up the use of recombinases as a new experimental strategy in Xenopus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified
  • Cell Lineage
  • Cloning, Organism / methods*
  • Crosses, Genetic
  • Female
  • Gene Expression*
  • Genes, Reporter / genetics
  • Integrases / genetics
  • Integrases / metabolism*
  • Lac Operon / genetics
  • Larva / genetics
  • Larva / growth & development
  • Larva / metabolism
  • Luminescent Proteins / genetics
  • Luminescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Male
  • Muscle Cells / cytology
  • Muscle Cells / enzymology*
  • Red Fluorescent Protein
  • Xenopus laevis / classification*
  • Xenopus laevis / genetics
  • Xenopus laevis / growth & development
  • Xenopus laevis / metabolism*

Substances

  • Luminescent Proteins
  • Cre recombinase
  • Integrases