Inducible and conditional promoter systems to generate transgenic animals.

Abstract

Transgenic animals are very useful models that can be utilized for the analysis of temporal and spatial gene expression in vivo. However, generation of a transgenic animal may become problematic if the presence of the transgene leads to conditions which are toxic or lethal to cell growth. In an effort to delineate the mechanism by which a specific gene contributes to cell growth and viability, an inducible and/or conditional system was established to generate transgenic animals. The systems comprise the following: (1) Selecting a specific promoter, (2) replacing a normal gene with other gene sequences (knock out), (3) promoting destruction of the mRNA (RNAi), (4) inducing and/or conditioning by drugs (Tet on/off), and (5) conditional cell knock out with cell death. The choice of system employed is dependent on the particular aim of the investigation, and may influence the final result. The inducible and conditional promoter system represents a useful experimental approach for the development of transgenic animals and the precise examination of gene function.