Lepr-CreERT2 Mouse

The Lepr gene encodes the leptin receptor (LEPR), a transmembrane protein that plays a critical role in regulating energy balance, metabolism, and neuroendocrine functions by binding leptin, a hormone secreted by adipocytes. This gene is expressed in multiple tissues, including the hypothalamus (particularly the arcuate nucleus), liver, pancreas, and immune cells, and mediates leptin signaling through the JAK-STAT pathway. Lepr generates multiple splice variants (such as LEPR-B, the long isoform with full signaling capacity), which respectively regulate appetite, thermogenesis, and glucose metabolism. Dysregulation of this gene is closely associated with obesity, insulin resistance, and abnormal immune function.

The Lepr-CreERT2 mice are constructed by integrating a tamoxifen-inducible CreERT2 recombinase expression cassette into the endogenous Lepr gene via gene editing technology. Without tamoxifen treatment, CreERT2 recombinase primarily resides in the cytoplasm; nuclear translocation and recombination activity of CreERT2 only occur upon tamoxifen stimulation. When Lepr-CreERT2 mice are crossed with mice containing loxP sites, tamoxifen induction triggers Cre recombinase-mediated sequence recombination between loxP sites in leptin receptor-expressing cells of the offspring.