The Ple160-lacZ transgene (pEMS1631) was designed with the 2538 bp Ple160 minipromoter (PITX3-B; derived from a subsection of the promoter from the human paired-like homeodomain 3 (PITX3) gene) upstream of a frt-flanked beta-galactosidase (lacZ) gene, an SV40 early polyA signal, and a human HPRT complementary sequence (containing exon1, intron1, exon2, and part of intron2). This construct was targeted as a single copy knockin to the Hprtb-m3 mutant locus on the X chromosome. The promoter/regulatory regions of the human paired-like homeodomain 3 (PITX3) gene directs expression of lacZ to anterior thalamus, with further expression observed in the ventral-lateral hippocampus, and the VTA region. The latter (VTA region) location reflects the expression of the endogenous Pitx3 gene. (J:144244, J:164356)