JHU Ref #: C15757
Value Proposition
· Inner ear specificity: When bred with a mouse with a floxed gene of interest (GOI), the offspring will not express the GOI in the inner ear.
· Applicable in multiple hearing models: Researchers can study effects of a GOI in the inner ear in both deaf and hearing mice.
· Improved mouse line stability: The novel knock-in Cre model is more stable than other transgenic mice.
· Broad compatibility: The mouse can be bred with any floxed GOI mouse to create novel research animals.
· Non-lethal crosses: Researchers can simultaneously study the removal of a GOI and Tecta in the inner ear without the mortality observed in a simple GOI deletion.
Unmet Need
· There are very few mouse lines for specifically manipulating gene expression in the inner ear.
· Many mouse lines used in such research are not specific to the inner ear and modulate gene expression throughout the entire body.
· Other simple transgenic Cre mice may have low stability or unpredictable side effects. These mouse lines may not be viable or accurate models for deafness research.
· Therefore, there is a strong need to develop a mouse model that can selectively manipulate gene expression within the inner ear.
Technology Description
· Novel transgenic mouse line with an insertion of the Cre gene in place of the Tecta gene.
· Insertion of Cre eliminates Tecta expression, causing hearing loss.
· The mouse line can be bred with floxed transgenic mice to specifically silence a GOI in the inner ear. Heterozygous Tecta-Cre mice retain Tecta expression and normal hearing.
Stage of Development
· The mouse cell line is completed and is cryopreserved.
· It is available on JAX as stock #035552.
Data Availability
· Data available upon request.
Publication
· Babola, T. A., Kersbergen, C. J., Wang, C. H., Bergles, D. E. (2020). Purinergic signaling in cochlear supporting cells reduces hair cell excitability by increasing the extracellular space. eLife, 9, e52160. https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.52160
