Tg(REN-cre)1Haca

12.2 kb of human renin promoter sequence was used to drive expression of cre recombinase. An upstream chicken matrix attachment region element was included to insulate the renin promoter from integration site effects. Five independent lines with stable integration of the transgene were established. Differences in the expression of the transgene between the different lines were marginal. Cre recombinase expression was detected in the renal cortex of adult mice with expression being localized in afferent arterioles and, to a lesser degree, in interlobular arteries. Expression could be modulated by salt intake and water restriction. Crossing this allele with a cre-reporter allele suggests other sites of transgene induction during embryonic development including the branching ureteric bud system of the kidney and in the adrenal cortex. (J:144009)