A suite of new Dre recombinase drivers markedly expands the ability to perform intersectional genetic targeting

Abstract

The use of the dual recombinase-mediated intersectional genetic approach involving Cre-loxP and Dre-rox has significantly enhanced the precision of in vivo lineage tracing, as well as gene manipulation. However, this approach is limited by the small number of Dre recombinase driver constructs available. Here, we developed more than 70 new intersectional drivers to better target diverse cell lineages. To highlight their applicability, we used these new tools to study the in vivo adipogenic fate of perivascular progenitors, which revealed that PDGFRa⁺ but not PDGFRa^-PDGFRb⁺ perivascular cells are the endogenous progenitors of adult adipocytes. In addition to lineage tracing, we used members of this new suite of drivers to more specifically knock out genes in complex tissues, such as white adipocytes and lymphatic vessels, that heretofore cannot be selectively targeted by conventional Cre drivers alone. In summary, these new transgenic tools expand the intersectional genetic approach while enhancing its precision.

Keywords: Cre-loxP; Dre-rox; adipocyte progenitors; fate mapping; intersectional genetics; lineage tracing; lymphatic endothelial cells; white adipocytes.