Cd163-CreERT2 Mouse

The Cd163 (CD163 antigen) gene encodes the CD163 protein, which is a member of the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) family and a type I transmembrane glycoprotein. It can act as a scavenger receptor for the hemoglobin-haptoglobin (Hb-Hp) complex and mediate its endocytic clearance ^[1]. CD163 expression has been reported in the monocyte-macrophage lineage, with relatively abundant expression in splenic red pulp macrophages and hepatic Kupffer cells ^[2]; mature macrophages in the intestinal lamina propria also express CD163 ^[3].

The Cd163-CreERT2 mouse was generated using gene editing technology, in which a Kozak-CreERT2-P2A expression cassette was inserted upstream of the start codon of the endogenous mouse Cd163 gene. In the absence of tamoxifen treatment, CreERT2 recombinase is predominantly localized in the cytoplasm. Following tamoxifen administration, CreERT2 recombinase translocates into the nucleus and mediates recombination. When Cd163-CreERT2 mice are crossed with mice carrying loxP sites, tamoxifen induction in the offspring is expected to trigger Cre-mediated recombination of the sequences between the loxP sites in Cd163-positive cells. This model is suitable for studies involving CD163-positive macrophages.