Proximal Lck promoter-driven Cre function Is limited in neonatal and ineffective in adult γδ T cell development
Fiala GJ, Schaffer AM, Merches K, Morath A, Swann J, Herr LA, Hils M, Esser C, Minguet S, Schamel WWA.
To study the impact of signaling processes in vivo and in an entire organism, one way is to delete the gene of interest in the cell type of interest using the Cre technology. During T cell development, Lck gene expression is temporally controlled by its proximal and distal promoters. The proximal Lck protomer driven Cre expression (pLckCre) is commonly used to recombine genes flanked by loxP sites in T cells. In this joint publication by the Schamel and Minguet groups we show that pLckCre failed to efficiently delete floxed genes in gamma delta (gd) T cells in contrast to a complete deletion in all alpha beta T cells. A small population of gd T cells that had activated pLckCre was detected, many of which were located in nonlymphoid organs as well as precommitted IL-17– or IFNg–producing gd T effector cells. Our data also point out striking differences in Lck transcription between perinatal and adult gd T cell development. Taken together, the data presented in this study shed new light on gd T cell development and stimulate a reanalysis of data generated using the pLckCre transgenic mice.
