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Updated: Jul 7, 2026
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An Efficient Transgenesis Approach for Gene Delivery in the Mouse Embryonic Heart
Published on: May 24, 2024
A Cre transgene active in developing endodermal organs, heart, limb, and extra-ocular muscle
Uta Grieshammer1, Pooja Agarwal, Gail R Martin
1Department of Anatomy and Program in Developmental Biology, School of Medicine, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
Genesis (New York, N.Y. : 2000)
|February 8, 2008
Summary
We developed the Osr1-cre transgenic mouse line for precise gene manipulation. This line exhibits Cre recombinase activity in specific embryonic tissues, aiding developmental studies.
Area of Science:
- Developmental Biology
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Cre-mediated recombination is crucial for genetic studies in mice.
- Efficient gene manipulation requires Cre recombinase expression in specific tissues or progenitor cells.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a novel transgenic mouse line, Osr1-cre, for spatiotemporal control of Cre-mediated recombination.
- To characterize the expression pattern of Cre recombinase in the Osr1-cre mouse line.
Main Methods:
- Generation of a transgenic mouse line expressing Cre recombinase under the control of the Osr1 promoter.
- Analysis of Cre activity using reporter systems or downstream genetic readouts in embryonic tissues.
Main Results:
- Osr1-cre displays Cre activity starting at embryonic day 11.5 in the posterior foregut, midgut, hindgut, and urogenital system endoderm.
- Expression is also observed in the heart left atrium, extra-ocular muscle progenitors, and specific limb mesenchyme.
- Cre activity extends to limb interdigital mesenchyme by embryonic day 12.5 and shows near-complete recombination in the bladder and urethral epithelium by embryonic day 14.5, including prostate progenitors in males.
Conclusions:
- The Osr1-cre mouse line provides a valuable tool for studying gene function in a defined set of embryonic tissues.
- Its unique spatiotemporal expression pattern offers new possibilities for genetic lineage tracing and functional analysis in developmental research.
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