Generation of a reporter mouse line expressing Akt and EGFP upon Cre-mediated recombination.

The serine-threonine kinase Akt regulates multiple biological processes. An important strategy to study Akt signaling in different tissues is targeted activation of this pathway in vivo. The current studies describe the generation of a mouse model that combines a double reporter system with activation of a constitutively active form of Akt1 (caAkt) in a Cre-dependent manner. Before Cre recombination, these mice express LacZ during development as well as in most adult tissues. After Cre-mediated excision of the LacZ reporter, functionality of the transgene was demonstrated by expression of the caAkt mutant along with the second reporter, EGFP in different pancreatic compartments and in the nervous system. This animal model provides a critical reagent for assessing the effects of Akt activation in specific tissues. The lineage-tracing properties provide a useful tool to study the role of Akt signaling in regulation of differentiation programs during development and plasticity of mature tissues. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.