Conditional Gene Deletion in the Placenta Using the Cre-loxP System

Chapter Summary The Cre-loxP system enables alterations in gene expression to occur specifically in trophoblast cells of the placenta, thereby providing potentially powerful new mouse models for study. However, it is important to carefully evaluate the Cre-loxP model of interest before conducting your study. This chapter covers the major steps involved in this validation process: (1) confirming the presence of the Cre and loxP transgenes in the mouse lines; (2) examining the specificity of Cre expression and confirming its activity; (3) developing an appropriate mating strategy; and (4) validating the successful deletion of the target gene. In addition, to avoid the confounding effects caused by the transgenes themselves, it is necessary to include multiple control groups. With these validations established, conditional gene deletion using the Cre-loxP system can be used to generate new trophoblast-specific mouse models that will advance our understanding of the genetic control of placental development in health and disease.