Tamoxifen-inducible Cre-mediated calreticulin excision to study mouse embryonic stem cell differentiation

Stem Cells Dev. 2009 Jan-Feb;18(1):187-93. doi: 10.1089/scd.2008.0064.

Abstract

Embryonic stem cells are useful to study the functional aspects of lineage commitment. In this study, we report that using the Cre/loxP system provides a useful tool for studying multifunctional proteins that are involved in stem cell differentiation, such as calreticulin. Calreticulin is a chaperone and a major calcium buffer of the endoplasmic reticulum and it functions during both adipogenesis and cardiomyogenesis. We used both a tamoxifen-inducible and cardiomyocyte-specific alpha-myosin heavy chain promoter-driven Cre/loxP system to study cardiomyogenesis, and a tamoxifen-inducible ubiquitously expressed cytomegalovirus promoter-driven Cre/loxP system to study adipogenesis. Both Cre/loxP systems mimicked the results previously observed using the calreticulin-null stem cell systems. Our results indicate that the tamoxifen-inducible Cre/loxP system is an effective and reliable tool to use for gene ablation in studies on functional aspects of stem cell biology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Calreticulin / genetics
  • Calreticulin / metabolism*
  • Cell Differentiation / physiology*
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Lineage
  • Embryonic Stem Cells / cytology
  • Embryonic Stem Cells / physiology*
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Gene Knockdown Techniques
  • Mice
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / cytology
  • Myocytes, Cardiac / physiology
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic*
  • Tamoxifen / metabolism*

Substances

  • Calreticulin
  • Tamoxifen