Cardiomyocyte-Specific FoxO1 Knockout Mice as Tools to Assess Cardiac Hypertrophy and Key Experimental Considerations Using Cre-loxP

Methods Mol Biol. 2025:2871:69-81. doi: 10.1007/978-1-0716-4217-7_7.

Abstract

The generation of tissue-specific mouse models has provided a powerful strategy to understand the role of genes in specific tissues/cells of interest under control/basal conditions and in response to physiological and pathological stimuli. Here we describe the generation of cardiomyocyte-specific FoxO1 knockout mice using Cre-loxP technology to examine the role of FoxO1 for the induction of heart enlargement (cardiac hypertrophy) in settings of health and disease. We highlight breeding strategies for generating tissue-specific mouse models and key experimental considerations during characterization.

Keywords: Cardiomyocyte; Cre-loxP technology; FoxO1; Tissue-specific.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Cardiomegaly* / genetics
  • Cardiomegaly* / pathology
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Forkhead Box Protein O1* / genetics
  • Forkhead Box Protein O1* / metabolism
  • Integrases* / genetics
  • Integrases* / metabolism
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Knockout*
  • Myocytes, Cardiac* / metabolism
  • Myocytes, Cardiac* / pathology

Substances

  • Forkhead Box Protein O1
  • Integrases
  • Foxo1 protein, mouse
  • Cre recombinase