A rapid and efficient red-light-activated Cre recombinase system for genome engineering in mammalian cells and transgenic mice

The Cre-loxP recombination system enables precise genome engineering; however, existing photoactivatable Cre tools suffer from several limitations, including low DNA recombination efficiency, background activation, slow activation kinetics, and poor tissue penetration. Here, we present REDMAPCre, a red-light-controlled split-Cre system based on the ΔPhyA/FHY1 interaction. REDMAPCre enables rapid activation (1-s illumination) and achieves an 85-fold increase in reporter expression over background levels. We demonstrate its efficient regulation of DNA recombination in mammalian cells and mice, as well as its compatibility with other inducible recombinase systems for Boolean logic-gated DNA recombination. Using a single-vector adeno-associated virus delivery system, we successfully induced REDMAPCre-mediated DNA recombination in mice. Furthermore, we generated a REDMAPCre transgenic mouse line and validated its efficient, light-dependent recombination across multiple organs. To explore its functional applications, REDMAPCre transgenic mice were crossed with isogenic Cre-dependent reporter mice, enabling optogenetic induction of insulin resistance and hepatic lipid accumulation via Cre-dependent overexpression of ubiquitin-like with PHD and RING finger domains 1 (UHRF1), as well as targeted cell ablation through diphtheria toxin fragment A expression. Collectively, REDMAPCre provides a powerful tool for achieving remote control of recombination and facilitating functional genetic studies in living systems.