Strain-specific regulation of striatal phenotype in Drd2-eGFP BAC transgenic mice.

J Neurosci
Authors
Keywords
Abstract

Mice carrying bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenes have become important tools for neuroscientists, providing a powerful means of dissecting complex neural circuits in the brain. Recently, it was reported that one popular line of these mice--mice possessing a BAC transgene with a D(2) dopamine receptor (Drd2) promoter construct coupled to an enhanced green fluorescent protein (eGFP) reporter--had abnormal striatal gene expression, physiology, and motor behavior. Unlike most of the work using BAC mice, this interesting study relied upon mice backcrossed on the outbred Swiss Webster (SW) strain that were homozygous for the Drd2-eGFP BAC transgene. The experiments reported here were conducted to determine whether mouse strain or zygosity was a factor in the reported abnormalities. As reported, SW mice were very sensitive to transgene expression. However, in more commonly used inbred strains of mice (C57BL/6, FVB/N) that were hemizygous for the transgene, the Drd2-eGFP BAC transgene did not alter striatal gene expression, physiology, or motor behavior. Thus, the use of inbred strains of mice that are hemizygous for the Drd2 BAC transgene provides a reliable tool for studying basal ganglia function.

Year of Publication
2012
Journal
J Neurosci
Volume
32
Issue
27
Pages
9124-32
Date Published
2012 Jul 04
ISSN
1529-2401
URL
DOI
10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0229-12.2012
PubMed ID
22764222
PubMed Central ID
PMC3461272
Links
Grant list
R01 NS034696 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States
NS069777 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States
R01 NS069777 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States
NS34696 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States
NS069777-S1 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States
R37 NS034696 / NS / NINDS NIH HHS / United States