IBMS BoneKEy | Perspective

Transgenic mouse strains for conditional gene deletion during skeletal development

Kyle K VanKoevering
Bart O Williams

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DOI:10.1138/20080312

Abstract

The development of the Cre-lox recombination system has dramatically altered studies in skeletal development by allowing for both temporal and cell-specific mutations of essential genes. Localizing these mutations to the skeleton allows for a more direct study of the gene's role in skeletal development while minimizing the effect of the mutation on other critical tissues. As our understanding of the biological processes in skeletal development expands, so too does the need for a wider range of Cre strains to interrogate issues of bone development, osteoporosis, and skeletal metastasis. Osteoblast-, osteoclast-, chondrocyte-, and osteocyte-specific Cre expression has been achieved with various promoters regulating expression. In this review, we will provide an overview of the Cre-lox system and the principal cell types of the skeleton, and then focus on the development of the major Cre-expressing strains of the skeleton and the cell-specific expression patterns of each strain.

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