A new recombinase called Dre induces controlled genetic changes in mice, according to a group of scientists. They explain that Dre works similarly to the currently popular recombinase Cre, with an important exception: It recognizes a distinct target sequence and only recombines DNA around that sequence even if the target sequence for Cre is present.
The ability of the related proteins, Cre and Dre, to distinguish their own target sequences indicates that Dre can be used in combination with Cre and other recombinases to produce more sophisticated mouse models, the researchers add.
Details will appear in the September/October issue of Disease Models and Mechanisms in a paper titled “Dre recombinase, like Cre, is a highly efficient site-specific recombinase in E. coli, mammalian cells and mice.”
The discovery of Dre recombinase was originally reported by the Stowers Institute for Medical Research. The institute holds an intellectual patent for the system that allows it to be shared openly for noncommercial purposes and evaluates requests on a case-by-case basis for its use by for-profit institutions.