GNrep mouse: A reporter mouse for front-rear cell polarity

Area of Science:

• Cell Biology
• Developmental Biology
• Biotechnology

Background:

• Cell migration is crucial for development, regeneration, homeostasis, and disease, requiring a front-rear polarity axis for directional movement.
• Assessing cell polarity in vivo is challenging due to tissue complexity and the lack of reliable live-imaging markers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel reporter mouse line for studying front-rear cell polarity in living tissues.
• To establish a reliable in vivo method for assessing cell polarity dynamics.

Main Methods:

• Development of the GNrep double fluorescent reporter mouse line, simultaneously labeling cell nuclei and Golgi complexes.
• Validation of the GNrep line using an endothelial-specific Cre mouse line for proof-of-principle studies.
• Utilizing fluorescent intensity and localization for automated segmentation and polarity vector assignment in complex tissues.

Main Results:

• The GNrep mouse line efficiently and specifically labels endothelial cell nuclei and Golgi apparatus.
• The nucleus-to-Golgi axis provides a reliable readout for cell front-rear polarity in vivo.
• Automated analysis of polarity vectors is feasible in complex tissues using GNrep.

Conclusions:

• The GNrep mouse line is a unique and powerful tool for studying cell front-rear polarity in fixed and live imaging contexts.
• This reporter system facilitates large-scale automated analyses of cell behavior and migration.
• GNrep will be instrumental in understanding cell polarity in development, homeostasis, and disease.