Generation of Cyp17iCre transgenic mice and their application to conditionally delete estrogen receptor alpha (Esr1) from the ovary and testis.

A transgenic mouse line that expresses iCre under regulation of the Cytochrome P(450) 17alpha-hydroxylase/17, 20-lyase (Cyp17) promoter was developed as a novel transgenic mouse model for the conditional deletion of genes specifically in the theca/interstitial cells of the ovary and Leydig cells of the testis. In this report, we describe the development of Cyp17iCre mice and the application of these mice for conditional deletion of the estrogen receptor alpha (Esr1) gene in the theca/interstitial and Leydig cells of the female and male gonad, respectively. These mice will prove a powerful tool to inactivate genes in the gonad in a cell-specific manner.