Journal article
Conditional Gene Targeting Using UCP1-Cre Mice Directly Targets the Central Nervous System Beyond Thermogenic Adipose Tissues
Molecular metabolism (Germany), Vol.55, 101405
11/2021
DOI: 10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101405
PMCID: PMC8683614
PMID: 34844020
Abstract
Uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) is a mitochondrial protein critical for adaptive thermogenesis in adipose tissues, and as such, is typically believed to be restricted to thermogenic adipose tissues. UCP1-Cre transgenic mice are utilized in numerous studies to provide “brown adipose-specific” conditional gene targeting. Here, we examine the distribution of Cre and UCP1 throughout the body in UCP1-Cre reporter mice.
UCP1-Cre mice crossed to Ai14-tdTomato and Ai9-tdTomato reporter mice were used to explore the tissue distribution of Cre recombinase and Ucp1 mRNA in various tissues. UCP1-Cre mice were independently infected with either a Cre-dependent PHP.eB-tdTomato virus or a Cre-dependent AAV-tdTomato virus to determine if and where UCP1 is actively expressed in the adult central nervous system. In situ analysis of deposited single cell RNA sequencing data was used to evaluate Ucp1 expression in the hypothalamus.
As expected, Ucp1 expression was detected in both brown and inguinal adipose tissues. Ucp1 expression was also detected in the kidney, adrenal glands, thymus and the hypothalamus. Consistent with detectable Ucp1 expression, tdTomato expression was also observed in brown adipose tissue, inguinal white adipose tissue, kidney, adrenal glands and the hypothalamus of both male and female UCP1-Cre;Ai14-tdTomato and UCP1-Cre;Ai9-tdTomato mice by fluorescent imaging and qPCR. Critically, expression of tdTomato, and thus UCP1, within the central nervous system was observed in regions of the brain critical for the regulation of energy homeostasis, including the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH).
TdTomato expression in UCP1-Cre;tdTomato mice is not restricted to thermogenic adipose tissues. TdTomato was also expressed in the kidneys, adrenal glands and throughout the brain, including brain regions and cell types which are critical for multiple aspects of central regulation of energy homeostasis. Collectively, these data have important implications for the utility of UCP1-Cre mice as genetic tools to investigate gene function specifically in brown adipose tissue.
•UCP1-Cre transgenic mice express Cre in tissues beyond thermogenic adipose tissues.•UCP1-Cre;tdTomato reporter mice reveal that Cre is also expressed throughout the brain, kidney and adrenal glands.•Ucp1 mRNA is actively expressed in the central nervous system of adult mice.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Conditional Gene Targeting Using UCP1-Cre Mice Directly Targets the Central Nervous System Beyond Thermogenic Adipose Tissues
- Creators
- Kristin E Claflin - University of IowaKyle H Flippo - University of IowaAndrew I Sullivan - University of IowaMeghan C Naber - University of IowaBolu Zhou - University of IowaTate J Neff - University of IowaSharon O Jensen-Cody - University of IowaMatthew J Potthoff - University of Iowa
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Molecular metabolism (Germany), Vol.55, 101405
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.molmet.2021.101405
- PMID
- 34844020
- PMCID
- PMC8683614
- NLM abbreviation
- Mol Metab
- ISSN
- 2212-8778
- eISSN
- 2212-8778
- Publisher
- Elsevier GmbH
- Grant note
- DOI: 10.13039/100000002, name: National Institutes of Health, award: F31 DK117515, F32 DK117510, R01DK106104, T32 DK112751; DOI: 10.13039/100000738, name: US Department of Veterans Affairs
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 11/2021
- Academic Unit
- Iowa Neuroscience Institute; Neuroscience and Pharmacology
- Record Identifier
- 9984197938802771
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