Mouse Cre-LoxP system: general principles to determine tissue-specific roles of target genes

Genetically engineered mouse models are commonly preferred for studying the human disease due to genetic and pathophysiological similarities between mice and humans. In particular, Cre-loxP system is widely used as an integral experimental tool for generating the conditional. This system has enabled researchers to investigate genes of interest in a tissue/cell (spatial control) and/or time (temporal control) specific manner. A various tissue-specific Cre-driver mouse lines have been generated to date, and new Cre lines are still being developed. This review provides a brief overview of Cre-loxP system and a few commonly used promoters for expression of tissue-specific Cre recombinase. Also, we finally introduce some available links to the Web sites that provides detailed information about Cre mouse lines including their characterization.