Validation of phiC31-mediated expression and functional knockout of Opn3 in the Opn3-phiC31o knock-in mouse

Opn3 is a non-visual blue light-sensitive opsin that has recently been reported to have an expansive repertoire of biological functions. To investigate the function of Opn3-expressing cells, we aimed to generate a system in which Opn3-expressing cells can be targeted by site-specific gene recombination.

Opn3-phiC31o knock-in (KI) mice were generated using the CRISPR-Cas9 method. The phiC31o-poly(A) cassette was inserted into the translation start site in exon 1. Opn3 mRNA and phiC31o mRNA were visualized by in situ hybridization (ISH). 5' rapid amplification of cDNA end (5' RACE) analysis was performed using RNAs from wild-type mouse cerebral cortex and cerebellum to identify the transcription start site of Chml, predicted to be shared with the transcription start site of Opn3. Cold-induced decrease in body temperature was monitored with a telemetric probe to confirm the phenotype of Opn3 knockout. To examine the phiC31o integrase-mediated recombination, Opn3-phiC31o mice were crossed with the ROSA26 ^{MultiFPsΔPuro} reporter and cyan fluorescent protein, mCerulean, expression was labeled by immunohistochemistry.

The expression pattern of phiC31o mRNA was consistent with that of Opn3 mRNA in Opn3-phiC31o heterozygous mouse brains, indicating that phiC31o mRNA is expressed under the control of the Opn3 promoter. Based on the public database, the transcription start site of exon 1 of Opn3 is identical to that of Chml, suggesting that phiC31o KI disrupts Chml expression. However, Opn3-phiC31o homozygous mice sustained Chml expression, and the transcription start site of Chml was confirmed to be located 112 bp upstream of the predicted second exon. Opn3-phiC31o homozygous mice showed a larger decrease in body temperature under cold exposure compared to wild-type controls. In addition, these mice also exhibited a refractive myopia phenotype. These findings confirmed the functional knockout of Opn3. Double transgenic mice of Opn3-phiC31o and ROSA26 ^{MultiFPsΔPuro} reporter showed mCerulean expression mainly in the olfactory bulb, cerebral cortex, thalamus, and cerebellum. The recombination efficiency was 30% to 44% in the cerebellum.

Opn3-phiC31o KI mice were successfully generated. We can generate Opn3 null mice that does not disrupt Chml by preparing homozygotes of Opn3-phiC31o. We have deposited the sequences including the newly found transcription start site of Chml.