Transgenic Targeting ofFcrlsCreates a Highly Efficient Constitutively Active Microglia Cre Line with Differentiated Specificity
Authors: Kaiser Tobias , Dattero Jordan , Li Liang , Chen Mandy , Jiang Minqing , Harrahill Andrew , Butovsky Oleg , Feng Guoping 
Published: October 2023

Microglia carry out important functions as the resident macrophages of the brain. To study their role in health and disease, the research community needs tools to genetically modify them with maximum completeness in a manner that distinguishes them from closely related cell-types, such as monocytes. While currently available tamoxifen-inducible CreERT2 lines are able to achieve the differentiation from other cells, the field needs improved and publicly available constitutively active Cre lines, especially ones with favorable efficiency and specificity profiles for studies where high recombination efficiency is imperative and where tamoxifen administration is contraindicated. Here, we leverage the microglia-specificFcrlsgene to generate mice expressing Cre. Using genomic methods, we show correct positioning of the transgene and intact microglia homeostasis inFcrls-2A-Cremice. CrossingFcrls-2A-Cremice to four different reporters, we demonstrate highly efficient recombination in microglia across differentially sensitive loxP alleles in different genomic contexts, indicating robust applicability of the line. Further, we show that microglia recombine a loxP reporter during early embryonic development, supporting the use of the line for developmental studies. Finally, using immunofluorescence and flow cytometry, we reveal that most border associated macrophages (BAMs) are also targeted whereas only few liver and spleen macrophages and virtually no white blood cell subsets exhibit Cre activity, distinguishing this line from another publicly available Cre line,Cx3cr1-CreM(MMRRC).Fcrls-2A-Cremice are immediately available (JAX Stock #036591) and serve as a valuable addition to the community’s microglia toolbox by providing highly efficient constitutive Cre activity with excellent specificity, particularly for studies where tamoxifen administration is undesirable.

Significance Statement

The microglia toolbox is continuously growing with more transgenic lines and most recently even viral tools becoming available. When selecting a Cre driver line, investigators must weigh relative strengths and weaknesses of available lines and carefully make the best choice for their given application. These tradeoffs include (1) availability and ease of employment, (2) chromosomal positioning of Cre with respect to the floxed allele (should not be on the same chromosome for conditional knockout studies), (3) activity level of a given Cre line and thus completeness of recombination across the microglia population, (4) specificity with respect to acceptable off-target cell types and tissues, (5) temporal aspects including earliest onset of Cre expression or inducibility, (6) robustness in disease contexts, and (7) potential perturbation of microglia homeostasis through Cre itself or disruption of the targeting locus. When selecting a mouse line, it is evident that there may not be a one-size-fits all solution but an application-based preference and choice from the diverse repertoire of microglia tools.Fcrls-2A-Cremice are an excellent addition to this toolbox.