Adipoq-P2A-iCreERT2 Mouse

Adiponectin, a protein hormone encoded by the ADIPOQ gene, is exclusively produced by adipocytes. It is secreted into the bloodstream and transported to muscle and liver cells, playing a crucial role in maintaining glucose and lipid metabolic homeostasis. Adiponectin participates in the regulation of glucose metabolism, lipolysis, and energy balance by promoting fatty acid oxidation, enhancing insulin sensitivity, and modulating metabolic signaling pathways such as AMPK. Additionally, it exhibits biological functions including anti-inflammatory and anti-atherosclerotic effects, as well as the amelioration of insulin resistance ^[1-3]. Aberrant ADIPOQ expression is closely associated with various metabolic disorders, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, fatty liver disease, and cardiovascular diseases ^[1-4]. Although the ADIPOQ gene is expressed exclusively in adipose tissue, adiponectin is widely distributed across multiple organs, including muscle, liver, intestine, male reproductive glands, and the brain ^[3-4].

The Adipoq-P2A-iCreERT2 mouse was generated by inserting a P2A-iCreERT2 expression cassette at the stop codon of the endogenous mouse Adipoq gene. The regulatory elements of the mouse Adipoq gene drive the expression of the iCreERT2 recombinase. In the absence of tamoxifen, the iCreERT2 recombinase is predominantly retained in the cytoplasm; upon tamoxifen induction, the recombinase translocates into the nucleus to exert its recombinase activity. When Adipoq-P2A-iCreERT2 mice are crossed with mice carrying loxP sites, the resulting offspring are expected to undergo Cre-mediated recombination of sequences flanked by loxP sites within adipose tissue following tamoxifen induction.