OBJECTIVE: To breed mice expressing green fluorescent protein specifically in male germ cells, and to provide an effective tool for the study of reproductive system toxicity in mice.
METHODS: Ddx4-cre transgenic male mice were mated with Rosa26mT/mG transgenic female mice to produce offspring animals. Molecular biology, histopathology and in vivo imaging techniques were used to analyze the offspring and their offspring from molecular, cellular and tissue levels, respectively. Parental mice were phenotyped.
Results: PCR results showed that Cre enzyme-mediated specific gene recombination occurred in the testis tissue of the offspring mice; live imaging showed that GFP was expressed in the testis tissue of the F1 generation mice; testicular frozen sections and sperm Fluorescence observation showed that GFP was mainly expressed in secondary spermatocytes, sperm cells and sperm.
Conclusion: The male germ cell-specific expressing GFP mice reproduce successfully.