Long‐term persistence of Sox10CreERT2 ‐driven reporter labeling in enteric glia of mice under physiological and inflammatory conditions

Abstract

Inducible Cre‐lox systems are widely used to manipulate enteric glia in vivo. However, long‐term reporter expression following Cre‐mediated recombination remains poorly characterized, particularly under inflammatory conditions associated with cellular remodeling. This Methods Article evaluates reporter persistence within Sox10 ⁺ enteric glia over time. Sox10 ^CreERT2+/− ; tdTomato ^fl/fl reporter mice received two tamoxifen injections 48 h apart. Whole‐mount preparations of the longitudinal muscle‐myenteric and submucosal plexuses were analyzed by immunohistochemistry up to 7 months post‐induction. To assess tdTomato reporter expression persistence following inflammatory conditions, colitis was induced in mice after tamoxifen administration using dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) or dinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (DNBS), and reporter expression was quantified 1 month later. Tamoxifen treatment produced efficient tdTomato reporter labeling in Sox10 ⁺ enteric glia, with more than 95% of glial cells expressing tdTomato in both preparations. Reporter expression remained stable for up to 7 months under physiological conditions. Following DSS‐ or DNBS‐induced colitis, the proportion of tdTomato ⁺ /Sox10 ⁺ cells remained similar to healthy controls. Tamoxifen treatment induces efficient and durable reporter expression in Sox10 ⁺ enteric glia that persists for months under physiological conditions and up to 1 month following inflammation. This work establishes a practical framework for long‐term Sox10CreERT2‐driven reporter‐labeling studies of enteric glia.