Conditional control of gene expression in the mouse

Nat Rev Genet. 2001 Oct;2(10):743-55. doi: 10.1038/35093537.

Abstract

One of the most powerful tools that the molecular biology revolution has given us is the ability to turn genes on and off at our discretion. In the mouse, this has been accomplished by using binary systems in which gene expression is dependent on the interaction of two components, resulting in either transcriptional transactivation or DNA recombination. During recent years, these systems have been used to analyse complex and multi-staged biological processes, such as embryogenesis and cancer, with unprecedented precision. Here, I review these systems and discuss certain studies that exemplify the advantages and limitations of each system.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cell Lineage
  • DNA Nucleotidyltransferases / physiology
  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Embryonic and Fetal Development / genetics
  • Forecasting
  • Fungal Proteins / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation* / genetics
  • Gene Expression Regulation* / physiology
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental
  • Genetic Techniques*
  • Integrases / physiology
  • Mice / genetics*
  • Mice, Knockout
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Organ Specificity
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Recombination, Genetic
  • Repressor Proteins / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae / genetics
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins*
  • Tetracycline / pharmacology
  • Transcription Factors / genetics
  • Transcriptional Activation
  • Transgenes
  • Viral Proteins / physiology

Substances

  • DNA-Binding Proteins
  • Fungal Proteins
  • GAL4 protein, S cerevisiae
  • Repressor Proteins
  • Saccharomyces cerevisiae Proteins
  • Transcription Factors
  • Viral Proteins
  • tetracycline resistance-encoding transposon repressor protein
  • Cre recombinase
  • DNA Nucleotidyltransferases
  • FLP recombinase
  • Integrases
  • Tetracycline