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Neuroscience perspective| Volume 54, ISSUE 11, P1125-1133, December 01, 2003

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Using conditional mutagenesis to study the brain

  • Alexei Morozov
    Correspondence
    Address reprint requests to Alexei Morozov, Unit on Behavioral Genetics, Laboratory of Molecular Pathophysiology, NIMH Building 49, Room B1EE16, 49 Convent Drive, MSC 4405, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
    Affiliations
    Unit on Behavioral Genetics, Laboratory of Molecular Pathophysiology, Department of Health and Humans Services (AM), National Institute of Mental Health, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
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  • Christoph Kellendonk
    Affiliations
    Center for Neurobiology and Behavior (CK, ES), Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
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  • Eleanor Simpson
    Affiliations
    Center for Neurobiology and Behavior (CK, ES), Columbia University, New York, New York, USA

    Howard Hughes Medical Institute (ES), Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
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  • Francois Tronche
    Affiliations
    Génétique Moléculaire, Neurophysiologie et Comportement CNRS FRE2401 (FT), Institut de Biologie Collège de France, Paris, France
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      Abstract

      Conditional genetic modifications are used to determine how individual molecules contribute to the function of defined neuronal circuits in the mouse brain. Among various techniques for these genetic modifications, the tetracycline transactivator and the Cre-loxP systems have proved to be most successful in recent years. Here we describe the basic principles, recent developments, and potential applications of these methodologies. We discuss their impact on the study of general brain function and their use for modeling different brain disorders.

      Keywords

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