Hoxb8-Cre mice: A tool for brain-sparing conditional gene deletion

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Robert Witschi1, Torbjörn Johansson, Giannina Morscher

  • 1Institute of Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Zurich, Switzerland.

Genesis (New York, N.Y. : 2000)
|July 27, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Researchers developed a new Hoxb8-Cre mouse line for studying gene function in pain pathways. This tool targets spinal cord and peripheral neurons, avoiding brain effects, aiding chronic pain research.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Genetics
  • Pain Research

Background:

  • The spinal cord integrates pain signals and undergoes neuroplastic changes contributing to chronic pain.
  • Studying gene function in pain pathways is crucial, but global gene knockout models have limitations due to supraspinal effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce a novel Cre mouse line for targeted gene manipulation in the spinal cord and peripheral nervous system.
  • To facilitate in vivo analysis of gene function in pain pathways while minimizing confounding brain influences.

Main Methods:

  • Development of a Cre mouse line under the transcriptional control of the Hoxb8 gene.
  • Analysis of Hoxb8-Cre expression patterns within the neural axis of the generated mouse line.

Main Results:

  • Hoxb8-Cre expression was confirmed in spinal cord neurons and glial cells.
  • Expression was observed in nearly all dorsal root ganglia neurons but spared most of the brain, with minimal expression in the spinal trigeminal nucleus.

Conclusions:

  • The Hoxb8-Cre mouse line provides a valuable tool for investigating gene functions in peripheral and spinal pain pathways.
  • This model enables targeted genetic studies in pain mechanisms without significant supraspinal confounding factors.

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