61 - Engineering of ES Cell Genomes with Recombinase Systems

Abstract

This chapter focuses on applied properties and uses of site-specific recombination. The combined use of site-specific recombination with gene targeting or gene trapping in embryonic stem (ES) cells now permits a remarkable range of highly sophisticated mutagenic design. Site-specific recombination systems mediate DNA rearrangements by breaking and joining DNA molecules at two specific sites, termed recombination targets (RTs). There are three types of recombination reactions, according to the disposition of the spacer, namely, excision–integration, inversion, and translocation. Recombination between end points located on the same chromosome yields deletions, inversions, and duplications; recombination between end points located on different chromosomes results in translocations. Collectively, the increasingly sophisticated technologies will greatly assist the establishment of mouse models for human disease as well as the intelligent identification of molecular targets for drug development.