Evaluation of the mouse TgTP6.3 tauGFP transgene as a lineage marker in chimeras

The mouse TgTP6.3 transgene, encoding a tauGFP fusion protein, is becoming widely used but has yet to be fully characterized and evaluated as suitable lineage marker. The aim of the present study was to investigate the phenotype of TgTP6.3(+/+) homozygotes and TgTP6.3(+/-) hemizygotes, characterize the expression of the TgTP6.3 transgene in different tissues and critically evaluate its use as a lineage marker. TgTP6.3(+/+) homozygotes died between embryonic day 14.5 and weaning, whereas TgTP6.3(+/-) hemizygotes were mostly viable and fertile but smaller than non-transgenic siblings. TgTP6.3 expression began in the late two-cell stage, persisted in most fetal and adult tissues and was uniformly expressed in many (but not all) tissues. TgTP6.3(+/-) cells were readily identified in many chimeric tissues and their contribution appeared to be quantitatively and spatially normal. Overall, tauGFP expression in hemizygous TgTP6.3(+/-) cells fulfils the main criteria of a good lineage marker for many tissues. It provides a useful lineage marker, which should be particularly suitable for axons, blood vessels and pre-implantation embryos.