Cre-lox Recombination
Cre-lox Recombination - Related Videos
08:13
A Cre-Lox P Recombination Approach for the Detection of Cell Fusion In Vivo
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Cited by 11 •
2012
A method to track cell fusion in living organisms over time is described. The approach utilizes Cre-LoxP recombination to induce luciferase expression upon cell fusion. The luminescent signal generated can be detected in living organisms using biophotonic imaging systems with a sensitivity of detection of ˜1,000 cells in peripheral tissues.
10:29
Inducing Cre-lox Recombination in Mouse Cerebral Cortex Through In Utero Electroporation
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Cited by 6 •
2017
Cell-autonomous functions of genes in the brain can be studied by inducing loss or gain of function in sparse populations of cells. Here, we describe in utero electroporation to deliver Cre recombinase into sparse populations of developing cortical neurons with floxed genes to cause loss of function in vivo.
07:48
Protocols for Analyzing the Role of Paneth Cells in Regenerating the Murine Intestine using Conditional Cre-lox Mouse Models
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Cited by 3 •
2015
Intestinal epithelial stem cells (ISCs) are intermingled with Paneth cells. These cells are differentiated progeny of the ISC, which support the ISCs and provide antibacterial protection. Here we demonstrate how we used transgenic conditional mouse models to establish that Paneth cells play a crucial role in maintaining the intestinal epithelia.
01:59
Cre-LoxP Mediated Induction of Cerebral Cavernous Malformations in a Mouse Model
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2025
In this video, a genetically modified mouse pup carrying the Ccm2 gene flanked by loxP sites and Cre recombinase fused to an estrogen receptor is used to induce cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs). The administration of 4-hydroxytamoxifen activates Cre in endothelial cells, leading to the deletion of Ccm2 and the formation of CCMs in the brain.
07:22
A High-throughput Cre-Lox Activated Viral Membrane Fusion Assay to Identify Inhibitors of HIV-1 Viral Membrane Fusion
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Cited by 8 •
2018
We describe a cell-based assay to report on HIV-1 fusion via the expression of green fluorescent protein detectable by flow cytometry or fluorescence microscopy. It can be used to test inhibitors of viral entry (specifically at the fusion step) in cell-free and cell-to-cell infection systems.
FAQs
The orientation of paired loxP sites determines the rearrangement that follows. Sites oriented in the same direction allow Cre-mediated excision of the intervening DNA, while oppositely oriented sites support inversion. When the sites occupy different genomic arrangements, Cre can promote exchange between DNA segments. Designing loxP placement therefore determines whether an experiment removes, reverses, or exchanges a sequence.
Cre recombinase expression defines the cells in which the engineered DNA change can occur. Tissue-specific expression restricts recombination to selected cell populations, such as particular neurons or glial cells, while inducible expression adds control over developmental or experimental timing. This spatial and temporal selectivity helps distinguish gene function in targeted neural populations from effects occurring throughout the nervous system.
Inducible control is important when a gene has different effects at different developmental stages. Activating recombination at a selected time can separate consequences associated with development from those associated with later neural function. In neuroscience, this temporal control can be paired with regional or cell-type restriction, allowing investigators to relate a genetic change to specific stages, brain areas, or populations.
Conditional designs connect a genetic manipulation to a defined biological context rather than treating the whole nervous system as uniform. By selecting the relevant brain region, cell type, or time point, researchers can ask whether a gene contributes to neural development, connectivity, behavior, or disease mechanisms in that context. The resulting interpretation links gene function to a specific neural population or stage.
A design must identify the DNA sequence to be controlled, the positions and arrangement of its loxP sites, and the source of Cre expression. It should also define the targeted tissue, cell type, or developmental stage. These choices determine both the kind of DNA rearrangement produced and the biological context in which the resulting gene-function change will be examined.
It can test how selected genes influence neural development, connectivity, behavior, and disease mechanisms. The same framework also supports lineage tracing and circuit manipulation, alongside conditional gene knockout or activation. Because the genetic change can be associated with particular neurons, glial cells, brain regions, or time points, researchers can connect molecular function with cellular identity and circuit-level outcomes.