PUBLICATION

Dually inducible TetON systems for tissue-specific conditional gene expression in zebrafish

Authors
Knopf, F., Schnabel, K., Haase, C., Pfeifer, K., Anastassiadis, K., and Weidinger, G.
ID
ZDB-PUB-101108-18
Date
2010
Source
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America   107(46): 19933-19938 (Journal)
Registered Authors
Haase, Christa, Knopf, Franziska, Schnabel, Kristin, Weidinger, Gilbert
Keywords
none
MeSH Terms
  • Aging/drug effects
  • Animals
  • Embryo, Nonmammalian
  • Gene Expression/drug effects*
  • Genetic Techniques*
  • Organ Specificity/drug effects*
  • Organ Specificity/genetics*
  • Receptors, Glucocorticoid/metabolism
  • Receptors, Steroid/metabolism
  • Tetracycline/pharmacology*
  • Transcription, Genetic/drug effects
  • Transgenes/genetics
  • Zebrafish/embryology
  • Zebrafish/genetics*
PubMed
21041642 Full text @ Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
Abstract
Systems for spatial and temporal control of gene expression are essential for developmental studies and are of particular importance for research in adult model organisms. We present two modified dually inducible TetON systems for tissue-specific conditional control of gene expression in zebrafish based on (i) a tetracycline inducible transcriptional activator (TetActivator) fused to the ligand binding domain of a mutated glucocorticoid receptor (TetA-GBD) and (ii) a TetActivator fused with a domain of the Ecdysone receptor (TetA-EcR). Both systems showed strong induction of tetracycline-responsive promoters upon administration of the appropriate ligands (doxycycline and dexamethasone for TetA-GBD, and doxycycline and tebufenozide for TetA-EcR), and undetectable leakiness when compared with classical TetActivators. Combinations of transgenic lines expressing TetA-GBD specifically in the heart or the CNS with different Tet-responsive transgenic lines allows conditional and tissue-specific control of gene expression in embryos and adults. Importantly, induction is fully reversible and tunable by the doses of drugs used. The TetA-EcR system avoids the possible side effects of dexamethasone and displays improved sensitivity both in zebrafish and in mammalian cells. These results show that dually inducible TetON systems are convenient tools for reversible and very tightly controlled conditional gene expression in zebrafish.
Genes / Markers
Figures
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Expression
Phenotype
Mutations / Transgenics
Human Disease / Model
Sequence Targeting Reagents
Fish
Antibodies
Orthology
Engineered Foreign Genes
Mapping