Cre-mediated recombination in the pituitary gland

Abstract

Summary: Organ-specific expression of a cre recombinase transgene allows for the analysis of gene function in a particular tissue or cell type. Using a 4.6 kb promoter from the mouse glycoprotein hormone Α-subunit (Α GSU or Cga ) gene, we have generated and characterized a line of transgenic mice that express cre recombinase in the anterior and intermediate lobes of the pituitary gland. Utilizing a cre-responsive reporter transgene, ΑGSU-cre transgene expression was detected in the pituitary primordium and in all five cell types of the adult anterior pituitary. ΑGSU-cre transgene activity was also detected in the cardiac and skeletal muscle. Little or no activity was evident in the gonads, adrenal glands, brain, ventromedial hypothalamus, or kidneys. The ΑGSU-cre transgenic mice characterized here will be a valuable tool for examining gene function in the pituitary gland. genesis 28:167–174, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.