Tg(Dct-mHELKK)1Rc

Mice bearing this transgene express intracellular, membrane-bound hen egg lysozyme. Expression is driven specifically in melanocytes by the mouse dopachrome tautomerase (Dct; formerly Trp2) promoter. The lysozyme protein is anchored within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by the H2-kb transmembrane domain that has been modified by addition of a dilysine ER retention signal. Two transgenic lines, designated TrpHEL1 and TrpHEL2, exhibited similar levels of expression in both skin and thymus, colocalized in skin with endogenous DCT. (J:139546)