LAUSR

Endothelial cells are specialized epithelium lining the interior surface of vessels and play fundamental roles in angiogenesis, vascular permeability, and immune response. To identify endothelial cells in vivo, we constructed a Pecam1nlacZ-H2B-GFP/+ knock-in mouse model in which the endothelial cells are labeled by nuclear LacZ (nlacZ) expression. When Pecam1nlacZ-H2B-GFP/+ mice are bred with germline Cre deleter mice, Pecam1H2B-GFP/+ line is created with native nuclear GFP (H2B-GFP) expression in the endothelium of various organs. This dual reporter mouse provides us with a powerful genetic tool for definitive identification of endothelial cells and monitoring this important cell population throughout development, homeostasis, and disease conditions in mammals.