Strain Detail: Raichu-Cdc42-F0 mice

Raichu-Cdc42-F0 mice are transgenic mice expressing förster (or fluorescence) resonance energy transfer (FRET) biosensor Raichu-Cdc42 under the control of CAG promoter in whole body. Cdc42 is a member of Rho family small GTP biding protein. It is activated in filopodia and regulates cell movement through the induction of actin cytoskeleton polymerization. It's possible to measure Cdc42 activity spatially and temporally in fetal or adult various tissues by live imaging observation of this strain in the two-photon microscopy. This strain expects not only to analyze the signal transduction cascade in live animals, but also apply drug development such as the pharmacodynamic analysis targeting Cdc42, because these mice are showed rich expression in primary cultured cells derived from various tissues. This biosensor expresses in plasma membrane. FRET biosensor generally can't use for fixed samples.

1. Kamioka Y, Sumiyama K, Mizuno R, Sakai Y, Hirata E, Kiyokawa E, and Matsuda M. (2012) Live imaging of protein kinase activities in transgenic mice expressing FRET biosensors. Cell Struct Funct 37(1):65-73. [PMID:22277578]