ABSTRACT
The Cre-loxP system is a technique used in a variety of research studies that allows for spatiotemporal control over gene deletion, inversion, and translocation. The technique utilizes the Cre recombinase enzyme to catalyze site-specific recombinations. Due to its efficiency in manipulating genes and chromosomes in a wide range of organisms, it is a powerful tool that is widely used in modern day biochemical and molecular biological research. Previous genetic knockout experiments were restricted if the genes of interest were necessary for embryonic survival or if the gene in question functioned in multiple tissues or cell types. Cre/Lox made it possible to conditionally knock out genes solely in subsets of cells where Cre recombinase is expressed. Cre recombinase is named because it creates recombination. It is an enzyme derived from the P1 bacteriophage and is designed to cut out genetic sequences between two loxP sites. The present chapter is an attempt to brief the concept of Cre-loxP system technology and its few common applications not only in research but also in clinical settings.
