| First Author | Perez-Caro M | Year | 2011 |
| Journal | Transgenic Res | Volume | 20 |
| Pages | Abstr 40 | Mgi Jnum | J:177631 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5295636 | Citation | Perez-Caro M, et al. (2011) Msi1-CRE transgenic mice: driving transgene expression to the putative gut stem cell. Transgenic Res 20:Abstr 40 |
| abstractText | Musashi-1 (<Msi1), a highly conserved RNA-binding protein, has been postulated as a neural stem cell marker playing important roles in maintenance of the stem cell state, differentiation and tumorogenesis. In addition, Msi-1 expression has also been detected in cells located just above Paneth cell in the mouse small intestine where the stem cell populations havetheir niche. At this site, the role of Msi1 is poorly studied and the mechanisms regulating Msi1 expression are not clear yet. To study these topics, we have generated a transgene mouse line using Msi-1 derived construct which strongly expresses the Cre-recombinase at the bottom of the crypts of the intestinal tract. Thus, to generate the transgene we used a 7 kb fragment of genomic DNA from the Mushashi-1 gene promoter compressing 4 kb upstream and 3 kb downstream from the ATG coding sequences, respectively. The CRE experssion of the transgene was evaluated using both RT-PCR and Q-PCR assays. We have crossed the Msi1-Cre transgenic mice with mice that carry a B-Ga1 cre-reporter to detect the expression of the recombinase in vivo and to locialize of Msi1-Cre positive cells. We have observed expression of the Cre-recombinase in the Msi-1 compartment of several tissues such as brain, skin, lung, and specifically, we also observed Msi-1 Cre expression at the bottom of the crypts of the intestinal tract, where the intestinal stem cells localize. This mouse model could be useful to study the biology of the Msi1-compartment where Msi1 + intestinal stem cells localize and it could be instrumental to design new stem cells assays aimed to improve the characterization of the stem cell population of the small intestine. |
