A reporter mouse for in vivo detection of DNA damage in embryonic germ cells

Maintaining genome integrity in the germline is essential for survival and propagation of a species. In both mouse and human, germ cells originate during fetal development and are hypersensitive to both endogenous and exogenous DNA damaging agents. Currently, mechanistic understanding of how primordial germ cells respond to DNA damage is limited in part by the tools available to study these cells. We developed a mouse transgenic reporter strain expressing a 53BP1-mCherry fusion protein under the control of the Oct4ΔPE embryonic germ cell-specific promoter. This reporter binds sites of DNA double strand breaks (DSBs) on chromatin, forming foci. Using ionizing radiation as a DNA DSB-inducing agent, we show that the transgenic reporter expresses specifically in the embryonic germ cells of both sexes and forms DNA damage induced foci in both a dose- and time-dependent manner. The dynamic time-sensitive and dose-sensitive DNA damage detection ability of this transgenic reporter, in combination with its specific expression in embryonic germ cells, makes it a versatile and valuable tool for increasing our understanding of DNA damage responses in these unique cells.