A reprogrammable mouse strain from gene-targeted embryonic stem cells

A mouse strain in which cellular reprogramming factors are expressed from a defined genomic locus is presented. It will enable studies of reprogramming in multiple cell types as well as facilitate comparisons between induced pluripotent stem cells and embryonic stem cells. Also in this issue, a paper by Carey et al. presents related tools. The derivation of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) usually involves the viral introduction of reprogramming factors into somatic cells. Here we used gene targeting to generate a mouse strain with a single copy of an inducible, polycistronic reprogramming cassette, allowing for the induction of pluripotency in various somatic cell types. As these 'reprogrammable mice' can be easily bred, they are a useful tool to study the mechanisms underlying cellular reprogramming.