Transgenic tools for analysis of the haematopoietic system: knock-in CD45 reporter and deletor mice.

We have produced and characterised reporter knock-in CD45-YFP and CD45-Cre mice that drive expression of yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) and Cre-recombinase, respectively under control of the haematopoietic CD45 locus. CD45-YFP expression was characterised in various haematopoietic cells populations. The activity of CD45-Cre mice was assessed by crossing with silent GFP reporter mice. Flow cytometry analysis indicated that both CD45-YFP and CD45-Cre were strongly expressed in the CD45(+) compartment of peripheral blood. Expression of these markers in various populations of adult bone marrow, including primitive cell populations was also determined. These mouse models will be useful for the direct visualisation of haematopoietic cells, especially at the periphery, and for gene knockout studies, in the haematopoietic system.