Genetically engineered multicistronic allele of Pmel yielding highly specific CreERT2-mediated recombination in the melanocyte lineage

Wilkinson, E. L. et al. (2023) Genetically engineered multicistronic allele of Pmel yielding highly specific CreERT2-mediated recombination in the melanocyte lineage. Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research, 36(1), pp. 71-77. (doi: 10.1111/pcmr.13076) (PMID:36412082)

Abstract

Genetic approaches that allow lineage tracing are essential to our future understanding of melanocytes and melanoma. To date, the approaches used to label melanocytes in mice have relied on random integration of transgenes driven by the promoters of the Tyrosinase and Dopachrome tautomerase genes, knock-in to the Dopachrome tautomerase locus or knock-in to the Mlana locus in a bacterial artificial chromosome. These strategies result in expression in other tissues such as telencephalon and other cell types such as nerves. Here we used homologous recombination in mouse embryonic stem cells to generate a targeted multicistronic allele of the Pmel locus that drives melanocyte-specific expression of CreERT2, nuclear localised H2B-Cerulean and membrane localised marcks-mKate2 allowing live imaging of melanocytes and activation of other conditional alleles. We combined this allele with R26R-EYFP mice allowing induction of EYFP expression on administration of tamoxifen or its metabolite 4-OHT. The fluorescent proteins H2B-Cerulean and marcks-mKate2 label the cell nucleus and plasma membrane respectively allowing live imaging and FACS isolation of melanoblasts and melanocytes as well as serving to provide an internal control allowing estimation of recombination efficiency after administration of tamoxifen. We demonstrate the utility of the transgene in embryonic and adult tissues.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: The work was supported by core funding from the Medical Research Council (MC_PC_U127527200 to MAK, PB, IJJ and RLM, a PhD studentship from NC3Rs (Grant #NC/K001612/1), a project grant from Medical Research Scotland (436FRG) to RLM and a project grant from North West Cancer Research (Grant CR1132) to RLM and SLA. LMM and KS were supported by CRUK core grant A15673 to LMM.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Machesky, Professor Laura
• Authors: Wilkinson, E. L., Brennan, L. C., Harrison, O. J., Crane‐Smith, Z., Gautier, P., Keighren, M. A., Budd, P., Swaminathan, K., Machesky, L. M., Allinson, S. L., Jackson, I. J., and Mort, R. L.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Cancer Sciences
• Journal Name: Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISSN: 1755-1471
• ISSN (Online): 1755-148X
• Published Online: 22 November 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Pigment Cell and Melanoma Research 36(1): 71-77
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License
• Data DOI: 10.17635/lancaster/researchdata/579