Hirrlinger J, Requardt RP, Winkler U, Wilhelm F, Schulze C, Hirrlinger PG. Split-CreERT2: temporal control of DNA recombination mediated by split-Cre protein fragment complementation.
PLoS One 2009;
4:e8354. [PMID:
20016782 PMCID:
PMC2791205 DOI:
10.1371/journal.pone.0008354]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2009] [Accepted: 11/26/2009] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Background
DNA recombination technologies such as the Cre/LoxP system advance modern biological research by allowing conditional gene regulation in vivo. However, the precise targeting of a particular cell type at a given time point has remained challenging since spatial specificity has so far depended exclusively on the promoter driving Cre recombinase expression. We have recently established split-Cre that allows DNA recombination to be controlled by coincidental activity of two promoters, thereby increasing spatial specificity of Cre-mediated DNA recombination. To allow temporal control of split-Cre-mediated DNA recombination we have now extended split-Cre by fusing split-Cre proteins with the tamoxifen inducible ERT2 domain derived from CreERT2.
Methodology/Principal Findings
In the split-CreERT2 system, Cre-mediated DNA recombination is controlled by two expression cassettes as well as the time of tamoxifen application. By using two independent Cre-dependent reporters in cultured cells, the combination of NCre-ERT2+ERT2-CCre was identified as having the most favorable properties of all constructs tested, showing an induction ratio of about 10 and EC50-values for 4-hydroxy-tamoxifen of 10 nM to 70 nM.
Conclusions/Significance
These characteristics of split-CreERT2 in vitro indicate that split-CreERT2 will be well suited for inducing DNA recombination in living mice harboring LoxP-flanked alleles. In this way, split-CreERT2 will provide a new tool of modern genetics allowing spatial and temporal precise genetic access to cell populations defined by the simultaneous activity of two promoters.
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