Cd11c-DTR transgenic mice: A tool mouse strain for murine DC depletion

•  Gene Information: Mouse Cd11c (official symbol: Itgax), located on chromosome 7F3, is predicted to enable receptor tyrosine kinase binding activity and signaling receptor activity. It is involved in the positive regulation of gene expression and myelination, and acts upstream of or within the defense response to viruses. It is located on the external side of the plasma membrane and is expressed in the heart, hemolymphoid system, and intestine. It is orthologous to human ITGAX.
•  Protein Information: In this mouse line, the mouse Cd11c protein is expressed in a DC-restricted manner, driven by its endogenous promoter. An EGFP-DTR-Luc fusion is co-produced from the same transcript, inserted upstream of the Cd11c stop codon. This labels DCs with EGFP, renders them sensitive to diphtheria toxin (DT) via the diphtheria toxin receptor (DTR), and allows bioluminescence tracking via luciferase.
•  Functional Mechanism: The primary purpose of this model is to enable the specific and inducible depletion of murine DCs. Upon DT injection, DTR expressed on DCs mediates toxin internalization and triggers rapid apoptosis. EGFP facilitates ex vivo flow cytometric identification, while luciferase permits non-invasive in vivo imaging of DC distribution, migration, and clearance. Thus, this strain offers a robust platform for investigating the roles of DCs in various disease models.

Cd11c-EGFP-DTR-Luciferase

•  The EGFP-DTR-Luc reporter cassette was inserted immediately upstream of the stop codon of the mouse Cd11c gene in B-Cd11c-EGFP-DTR-Luc mice.

Frequencies of EGFP+ cells and DCs in spleen by flow cytometry. Splenocytes were isolated from wild-type C57BL/6 mice (+/+) and heterozygous B-Cd11c-EGFP-DTR-Luc mice (Mut/+) (n=3, 6-8-week-old) injected with PBS or DT (50 ng/g body weight) for two consecutive days. Flow cytometry analysis of the splenocytes was performed to assess the frequencies of EGFP+ cells and DCs. The frequencies of EGFP+ cells and DCs were decreased in heterozygous mice injected with DT.

Frequency of leukocyte subpopulations in spleen by flow cytometry. Splenocytes were isolated from wild-type C57BL/6 mice (+/+) and heterozygous B-Cd11c-EGFP-DTR-Luc mice (Mut/+) (n=3, 6-8-week-old) injected with PBS or DT (50 ng/g body weight) for two consecutive days. Flow cytometry analysis of the splenocytes was performed to assess the frequency of leukocyte subpopulations. Values are expressed as mean ± SEM. Significance was determined by two-way ANOVA test.  *P < 0.05, **P < 0.01, ***p < 0.0001.