How the Cre-LoxP System Works | A Guide to Mouse Genetics Tools

Описание: In this video, we dive deep into the Cre-LoxP recombinase system, one of the most powerful tools in mouse genetics. 🧬

We break down:
✅ How Cre recombinase works
✅ The concept of floxed alleles and DNA recombination
✅ The different types of Cre lines—tissue-specific and inducible Cre systems
✅ How to generate null animals for knockout studies
✅ Useful resources for finding floxed alleles and Cre lines

By the end of this video, you'll have a clear understanding of how Cre recombinase helps researchers dissect gene function in specific tissues and at specific time points—an essential approach for modern biomedical research.

Resources mentioned:
🖥 Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI): https://www.informatics.jax.org/
🖥 Jackson Laboratory (JAX): https://www.jax.org/

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📌 Chapters (with Key Concept Highlights):
Intro — What Are Recombinase Systems?
Overview of recombinase systems in mouse genetics
Focus on the Cre-LoxP system

How the Cre-LoxP System Works
Cre recombinase and LoxP sites
Mechanism of gene deletion or flipping
Introduction to floxed alleles and directionality
Mention of Flp recombinase and Rainbow Mice

Tissue-Specific Cre Recombinases
Restricting Cre expression spatially
How promoters drive tissue-specific expression
Random insertion vs. targeted knock-in (KI) approaches
Importance of heterozygosity in random transgenic lines

Inducible Cre Systems (ERT2-Cre)
Temporal control of recombination
ERT2-Cre fusion proteins and how they work
Combining tissue-specific and inducible systems
Rosa26 locus overview

Generating Null Animals (Full Knockouts)
Importance of full gene knockout
Breeding strategies and chimera generation
Germline Cre recombinases (CMV-Cre, embryonic expression)

Best Resources for Cre and Floxed Alleles
Mouse Genome Informatics (MGI)
Jackson Laboratory (JAX) resources

Outro — Wrapping Up the Cre-LoxP System
Recap of key concepts
Encouragement to explore more mouse genetics content

Chapters

00:00 Intro
00:39 Cre-LoxP basics
01:30 Cre-induced deletions
03:23 Flipping
05:00 Different Lox types
09:20 Transgenic Cres
10:38 Knock-In Cres
12:48 Rosa26
12:23 ERT2-Cre
14:52 Tamoxifen
16:44 Generating Null alleles
18:32 Germ line Cres
20:20 MGI website
20:42 Jax website
21:23 Recap
21:35 Outro
21:46 Other resources