Green fluorescent protein as a reporter for promoter analysis of testis- specific genes in transgenic mice

The application of green fluorescent protein (GFP) as a reporter in transgenic mice is particularly useful for the study of testis-specific gene promoters. A major advantage is that GFP can be detected directly in freshly isolated spermatogenic cells without the need for cytochemical or immunohistochemical reactions. When combined with the transillumination- assisted microdissection technique, expression of GFP in the testis permits precise identification of the germ cell type, and the stage of the seminiferous epithelium cycle at which the putative promoter is active. We have demonstrated the utility of this approach using a SP-10-GFP transgenic mouse model in which GFP is expressed in the haploid male germ cells.