Characterization of the Two Inducible Cre Recombinase-Based Mouse Models NG2-CreER™ and PDGFRb-P2A-CreER^T2 for Pericyte Labeling in the Retina

Pericytes (PCs), located abluminal of endothelial cells on capillaries, are essential for vascular development and stability. They display a heterogeneous morphology depending on organ localization, differentiation state, and function. Consequently, PCs show a diverse gene expression profile, impeding the usage of a unique PC marker and therefore the distinct identification of PCs. Inducible reporter mouse models represent an important tool for...