Neuron-specific expression of Cre recombinase during the late phase of brain development

Gene targeting to disrupt gene expression in a temporal and spatial manner in a specific tissue using Cre recombinase-mediated gene inactivation has b een proven to be useful to study in vivo gene function. To delete genes spe cifically in neurons during the late phase of brain development, we have ge nerated transgenic mouse lines that express Cre recombinase under the contr ol of the murine neurofilament-H (mNF-H) gene promoter. In this study, we r eport that one of these mouse lines expresses Cre recombinase specifically in the neurons of the brain and spinal cord during the late stage of their development. The transgenic line displays specific excision of the loxP-fla nked gene in the neurons just after embryonic day 18.5 (E.18.5). which coin cides with the later phase of brain maturation including spinal cord and ol factory bulb area. This mNF-H-cre transgenic mouse line will be valuable fo r studying in vivo functions of neuron-specific genes, particularly: defini ng their precise roles in the mature nervous system using conditional gene targeting strategies. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd and the Japan N euroscience Society. All rights reserved.