Unspecific DNA recombination in AdipoqCre-ERT2 – mediated knockout approaches in transgenic mice is sex-, age- and genotype-dependent

A Lindhorst, I Bechmann, M Gericke - Adipocyte, 2020 - Taylor & Francis
A Lindhorst, I Bechmann, M Gericke
Adipocyte, 2020Taylor & Francis
Due to the epidemic rise of obesity prevalence, adipose tissue (AT) research is of major
interest. Our aim was to study specificity of the most-common Cre/loxP approach for
inducible gene manipulation of AT in mice (AdipoqCre-ERT2). We used mice with tamoxifen-
sensitive Cre recombinase controlled by the adiponectin promoter (AdipoqCre-ERT2), which
were crossed to a tdTomato reporter mouse to visualize the site of recombination on a single-
cell resolution. Albeit tamoxifen induced tdTomato expression in this model, also non …
Abstract
Due to the epidemic rise of obesity prevalence, adipose tissue (AT) research is of major interest. Our aim was to study specificity of the most-common Cre/loxP approach for inducible gene manipulation of AT in mice (AdipoqCre-ERT2). We used mice with tamoxifen-sensitive Cre recombinase controlled by the adiponectin promoter (AdipoqCre-ERT2), which were crossed to a tdTomato reporter mouse to visualize the site of recombination on a single-cell resolution. Albeit tamoxifen induced tdTomato expression in this model, also non-stimulated background recombination (‘Cre leakage’) was detected in AT of untreated Adipoq-CreERT2xTDTO mice in vivo. Quantification of Cre leakage revealed age, sex and genotype as factors impacting on non-induced Cre recombination.
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