Lead Inventor:
Franklin D. Costantini, Ph.D.
Axin and Axin2 Functions Studies Needed during Early Neural Development
The homologous proteins Axin and Axin2 are negative regulators of the Wnt signaling pathway. While the former is ubiquitously expressed, the latter is only expressed in specific tissue regions during embryogenesis. Although Axin and Axin2 exhibit apparent functional redundancy when the former is inserted into the locus of the latter, it is unclear to what extent their functions during early neural development overlap.
Transgenic System for Targeted Gene Expression in Axin2-Expressing Cells for Disease Study
The technology is a transgenic system for targeted gene expression in Axin2-expressing cells. In this system, transgenic mice expressing reverse tetracycline-controlled transactivator (rtTA) under the control of Axin2 regulatory elements are crossed with mice expressing a reporter such as lacZ or some other gene (such as Axin) under the control of tetracycline-controlled element (TRE); this enables the conditional expression of the reporter or additional gene in Axin2-expressing cells in the resulting double transgenic mice at various times during embryogenesis.
Applications:
• The technology can be used to study the regulation of Wnt signaling and the roles of different Axins in early neural development.
• This technology can be used to study diseases associated with the Wnt signaling pathway.
Advantages:
• The technology enables the targeted expression of genes in Axin2-expressing cells in a spatially and temporally specific manner.
Patent Status: Copyright/Material
Licensing Status: Available for Sponsored Research Support
Publications:
Impaired neural development caused by inducible expression of Axin in transgenic mice, H.M. Yu, B. Liu, F. Costantini, and W. Hsu, Mechanisms of Development, Vol. 124, No. 2, 2007, pp. 146-156.
Express Licensing:
https://flintbox.com/public/project/7668/