Table 1. Summary of the most widely-used EC-specific Cre and Cre/ERT2 alleles.
CapEC= capillary endothelial cells, AEC= Arterial endothelial cells, SVEC=sinus venosus endothelial cells, CEC= coronary endothelial cells, VEC=vein endothelial cells, EndEC=endocardial endothelial cells. MGI ID number can be used at http://www.informatics.jax.org/ to obtain further information about origin, recombinase activity, mouse availability and a complete list of papers referencing each allele. Note that ID numbers must include “MGI:” when added into search box
| Gene | Mouse Line | Regulation of Cre Activity | Expression | Non-EC Expression | Earliest Reported Activity | MGI ID | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tek (Tie2) | Tg(Tek-cre)1Ywa | 10kb enhancer and 2.1kb promoter | Pan-EC | Heart valves, HCs | E7.5 | MGI:2450311 | 20 |
| Tg(Tek-cre)12Flv | 10kb enhancer and 2.1kb promoter | Pan-EC | Heart valves, HCs | E7.5 | MGI:2136412 | 21 | |
| Tg(Tek-cre)5326Sato | 10kb enhancer and 2.1kb promoter | Pan-EC | HCs, some ectopic expression | E9.5 | MGI:2445474 | 22 | |
| Tg(Tek-cre)1Rwng | 10kb enhancer and 2.1kb promoter | Pan-EC | HCs | E7.5 | MGI:3608912 | 23 | |
| Tg(Tek-cre)1Xyfu | 10kb enhancer and 2.1kb promoter | Pan-EC | HCs | Unknown | MGI:2683222 | 24 | |
| Tg(Tek-cre/ERT2)1Soff | Endogenous locus, Cre/ERT2 inserted at start codon of gene within a BAC | Pan-EC | None reported | Unknown | MGI:3837451 | 62 | |
| Tg(Tek-cre/ERT2)1Arnd | 10kb enhancer and 2.1kb promoter | Pan-EC | None reported | Unknown | MGI:2450312 | 61 | |
|
Cdh5 (VE-cad) |
Tg(Cdh5-cre)7Mlia | 2.2kb promoter | Pan-EC | HCs | E7.5 | MGI:3620560 | 33 |
| Tg(Cdh5-cre)1Nmoc | 2.2kb promoter | Pan-EC | HCs | E10.5 | MGI:3842516 | 34 | |
| Tg(Cdh5-cre)1Spe | 2.2kb promoter flanked by 2kb insulator | Pan-EC | HCs | E9.5 | MGI:3836418 | 35 | |
| Tg(Cdh5-cre/ERT2)CIVE23Mlia | 2.2kb promoter | Pan-EC | HCs | E9.5 | MGI:3700149 | 44 | |
| Tg(Cdh5-cre/ERT2)#Ykub | Endogenous locus, Cre/ERT2 inserted at start codon within BAC | Pan-EC | None reported | Not reported | MGI:5705396 | 45 | |
| Tg(Cdh5-cre/ERT2)1Rha | Endogenous locus, Cre/ERT2 inserted at start codon within PAC | Pan-EC | None reported | E9.5 | MGI:3848982 | 46 | |
| Kdr (Flk1) | Tg(Kdr-cre)15962Brei | 2.3kb enhancer and 939bp promoter | Pan-EC | HCs | E9.5 | MGI:3038968 | 39 |
| Kdrtm1(cre)Sato | Endogenous locus, targeted knock-in of CreERT2 cDNA into exon 1 | Pan-EC | HCs skeletal and cardiac muscle | E8.5 | MGI:2655253 | 40 | |
| Pdgfb | Tg(Pdgfb-icre/ERT2)1Frut | Endogenous locus, Cre/ERT2 inserted at start codon in PAC, | CapEC, AEC | Keratinocytes, megakaryocytes | E9.5 | MGI:3793852 | 57 |
| Sox17 | Sox17tm1(iCre)Heli | Endogenous locus, targeted knock-in of CreERT2 cDNA deleting exon 1 | Some AECs | Thymus, spleen, pancreas and liver | E8.5 | MGI:3852645 | 72 |
| Bmx | Tg(Bmx-cre/ERT2)1Rha | Endogenous locus, Cre/ERT2 inserted at start codon within PAC | Some AECs | None reported | E10.5 | MGI:5513853 | 78 |
| Esm1 | Tg(Esm1-cre/ERT2)1Rha | Endogenous locus, Cre/ERT2 inserted at start codon within BAC | Tip ECs | None reported | P4 | - | 67 |
| Apln | Aplntm1.1(cre/ERT2)Bz | Endogenous locus, targeted knock-in of CreERT2 cDNA into gene deleting exon 1 | Sprouting ECs | None reported | E10.5 | MGI:5637737 | 90 |
| Aplnr (Apj) | Tg(Aplnr-cre/ERT2)#Krh | Endogenous locus, Cre/ERT2 inserted at start codon of BAC | SV and derived CECs, capECs, VECs | None reported | E10.5 | MGI:5637737 | 95 |
| Fabp4 (Ap2) | Tg(Fabp4-cre)1Rev | 5.4kb promoter fragment | CEC | Adipocytes and macrophages | E16.5 | MGI:2386686 | 99 |
| Tg(Fabp4-cre/ERT2)1Ipc | 5.4kb promoter fragment | CEC | Adipocytes and macrophages | E16.5 | MGI:2387425 | 100 | |
| Nfatc1 | Nfatc1tm1.1(cre)Bz | Endogenous locus, targeted knock-in of Cre cDNA into translational stop codon | EndEC | Hair follicle stem cells, osteoblasts, macrophages | E9.0 | MGI:5471107 | 102 |
| Nfatc1tm2(cre)Bzsh | Endogenous locus, targeted knock-in of Cre cDNA into translational stop codon | EndEC, SVEC | None reported | E9.5 | MGI:6163733 | 49 | |
| Nfatc1tm1.1(cre/ERT2)Bzsh | Endogenous locus, targeted knock-in of CreERT2 cDNA into gene deleting exon 1 | EndEC, SVEC | None reported | E8.5 | MGI:5637438 | 103 | |
| Nfatc1em1(cre/ERT2)Bzsh | Endogenous locus, targeted knock-in of Cre/ERT2 cDNA into 3'UTR | EndEC, SVEC | None reported | E7.75 | MGI:5804178 | 104 | |
| Npr3 | Npr3tm1.1(cre/ERT2)Bzsh | Endogenous locus, targeted knock-in of Cre/ERT2 cDNA into translational start codon | EndEC | Some epicardial cells | E8.5 | MGI:5804184 | 104 |