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Kishi K, Koyama H, Oka S, Kato A, Sato M, Fujimori T. Repetitive short-pulsed illumination efficiently activates photoactivatable-Cre as continuous illumination in embryonic stem cells and pre-implantation embryos of transgenic mouse. GENESIS (NEW YORK, N.Y. : 2000) 2021; 59:e23457. [PMID: 34687271 DOI: 10.1002/dvg.23457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Revised: 09/06/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The Cre-loxP system has been widely used for specific DNA recombination which induces gene inactivation or expression. Recently, photoactivatable-Cre (PA-Cre) proteins have been developed as a tool for spatiotemporal control of the enzymatic activity of Cre recombinase. Here, we generated transgenic mice bearing a PA-Cre gene and systematically investigated the conditions of photoactivation for the PA-Cre in embryonic stem cells (ESCs) derived from the transgenic mice and in a simple mathematical model. Cre-mediated DNA recombination was induced in 16% of the PA-Cre ESCs by 6 hr continuous illumination. We show that repetitive pulsed illumination efficiently induced DNA recombination with low light energy as efficient as continuous illumination in the ESCs (96 ± 15% of continuous illumination when pulse cycle was 2 s), which was also supported by a minimal mathematical model. DNA recombination by the PA-Cre was also successfully induced in the transgenic mouse pre-implantation embryos under the developed conditions. These results suggest that strategies based on repetitive pulsed illumination are efficient for the activation of photoactivatable Cre and, possibly other photo-switchable proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kanae Kishi
- Division of Embryology, National Institute for Basic Biology, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan.,Japan Science and Technology Agency, Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (JST-CREST), Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Koyama
- Division of Embryology, National Institute for Basic Biology, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan.,Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Sanae Oka
- Division of Embryology, National Institute for Basic Biology, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Azusa Kato
- Division of Embryology, National Institute for Basic Biology, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
| | - Moritoshi Sato
- Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 3-8-1, Komaba, Meguro-ku, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Toshihiko Fujimori
- Division of Embryology, National Institute for Basic Biology, 5-1 Higashiyama, Myodaiji, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan.,Japan Science and Technology Agency, Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (JST-CREST), Kawaguchi, Saitama, Japan.,Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, SOKENDAI, Okazaki, Aichi, Japan
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Baumgärtel K, Fernández C, Johansson T, Mansuy IM. Conditional transgenesis and recombination to study the molecular mechanisms of brain plasticity and memory. Handb Exp Pharmacol 2007:315-45. [PMID: 17203661 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-540-35109-2_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
In the postgenomic era, a primary focus of mouse genetics is to elucidate the role of individual genes in vivo. However, in the nervous system, studying the contribution of specific genes to brain functions is difficult because the brain is a highly complex organ with multiple neuroanatomical structures, orchestrating virtually every function in the body. Further, higher-order brain functions such as learning and memory simultaneously recruit several signaling cascades in different subcellular compartments and have highly fine-tuned spatial and temporal components. Conditional transgenic and gene targeting methodologies, however, now offer valuable tools with improved spatial and temporal resolution for appropriate studies of these functions. This chapter provides an overview of these tools and describes how they have helped gain better understanding of the role of candidate genes such as the NMDA receptor, the protein kinase CaMKIIIalpha, the protein phosphatases calcineurin and PP1, or the transcription factor CREB, in the processes of learning and memory. This review illustrates the broad and innovative applicability of these methodologies to the study of brain plasticity and cognitive functions.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Baumgärtel
- Department of Biology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Medical Faculty, University Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
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