Abstract
IL-7 is a cytokine that is required for T-cell development and homeostasis as well as for lymph node organogenesis. Despite the importance of IL-7 in the immune system and its potential therapeutic relevance, questions remain regarding the sites of IL-7 synthesis, specific cell types involved and molecular mechanisms regulating IL-7 expression. To address these issues, we generated two bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mouse lines in which IL-7 regulatory elements drive expression of either Cre recombinase or a human CD25 (hCD25) cell surface reporter molecule. Expression of the IL-7.hCD25 BAC transgene, detected by reactivity with anti-hCD25 antibody, mimicked endogenous IL-7 expression. Fetal and adult tissues from crosses between IL-7.Cre transgenic mice and Rosa26R or R26-EYFP reporters demonstrated X-gal or YFP staining in tissues known to express endogenous IL-7 at some stage during development. These transgenic lines provide novel genetic tools to identify IL-7 producing cells in various tissues and to manipulate gene expression selectively in IL-7 expressing cells.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 281-7 |
| Number of pages | 7 |
| Journal | Genesis (New York, N.Y. : 2000) |
| Volume | 47 |
| Issue number | 4 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2009 |
Keywords
- Animals
- Animals, Newborn
- Chromosomes, Artificial, Bacterial
- Female
- Flow Cytometry
- Gene Expression Profiling
- Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
- Humans
- Immunohistochemistry
- Integrases
- Interleukin-2 Receptor alpha Subunit
- Interleukin-7
- Male
- Mice
- Mice, Transgenic
- Promoter Regions, Genetic
- Recombinant Fusion Proteins
- Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
- Thymus Gland