Development of a mouse model for live-imaging of hepatic epithelial patterning in mouse embryonic liver using a HAC carrying BACs

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Endodermal organs have tree-like structures of endodermal epithelia which are essential for performing their functions. The structures are autonomously organized by cell-to-cell interactions among different cell populations. As their final tree-like pattern of the endodermal epithelial tubes are fractal, the patterns appear to be formed based on the some mathematical rules. However, the rules have been unknown because we were not able to perform real-time observation of the behaviors of the cells involved. In order to perform simultaneous real-time imaging for different two cell populations in histogenesis of the embryonic organs using Foxa2-nEGFP-CreERT2, WT1-EGFPCre, and Tek-Cre, we generated Ai-3tTom, a new ROSA26 reporter line. This mouse line can expresses myristyl tandem Tomato in a Cre-dependent manner from ROSA26 locus, which emits very strong red fluorescence. Therefore, we are able to perform a real-time live imaging of the cells using this mouse line.