Generation and characterization of a mouse line carrying Reck-CreERT2 knock-in allele

Area of Science:

• Molecular Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Reck encodes a membrane glycoprotein crucial for embryogenesis and tumor suppression.
• Reck regulates extracellular metalloproteinases, Notch, and Wnt7 signaling pathways.
• The precise in vivo mechanisms of Reck function remain largely unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

• To generate and validate a novel mouse model for studying Reck gene function.
• To create a tool for tracking Reck expression patterns in vivo.
• To assess the utility of the Reck^CreERT2 allele in specific biological contexts.

Main Methods:

• Homologous recombination was used to generate the Reck^CreERT2 allele.
• The Reck^CreERT2 allele was confirmed to mimic endogenous Reck expression patterns in five tissues.
• Reck expression induction was demonstrated in the adult hippocampus following transient cerebral ischemia.

Main Results:

• A new Reck^CreERT2 allele was successfully generated, which is defective in Reck function.
• The Reck^CreERT2 allele demonstrated similar expression patterns to the endogenous Reck gene.
• Reck expression was inducible in the adult hippocampus after ischemic injury.

Conclusions:

• The Reck^CreERT2 mouse model is a valuable tool for investigating Reck's roles in vivo.
• This Cre-driver allele enables lineage tracing and functional studies of Reck-expressing cells.
• The model is suitable for studying Reck's involvement in physiological and pathological processes, such as ischemic brain injury.