ABSTRACT
Transgenic (TG) pigs are important in biomedical research and are used in disease modeling, pharmaceutical toxicity testing, and regenerative medicine. In this study, we constructed two vector systems by using the promoter of the pig glial fibrillary acidic protein (pGFAP) gene, which is an astrocyte cell marker. We established donor TG fibroblasts with pGFAP-CreER(T2)/LCMV-EGFP(LoxP) and evaluated the effect of the transgenes on TG-somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryo development. Cleavage rates were not significantly different between control and transgene-donor groups. Embryo transfer was performed thrice just before ovulation of the surrogate sows. One sow delivered 5 TG piglets at 115 days after pregnancy. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis with genomic DNA isolated from skin tissues of TG pigs revealed that all 5 TG pigs had the transgenes. EGFP expression in all organs tested was confirmed by immunofluorescence staining and PCR. Real-time PCR analysis showed that pGFAP promoter-driven Cre fused to the mutated human ligand-binding domain of the estrogen receptor (CreER(T2)) mRNA was highly expressed in the cerebrum. Semi-nested PCR analysis revealed that CreER(T2)-mediated recombination was induced in cerebrum and cerebellum but not in skin. Thus, we successfully generated a TG pig with a 4-hydroxytamoxifen (TM)-inducible pGFAP-CreER(T2)/EGFP(LoxP) recombination system via SCNT.
Subject(s)
Female , Humans , Pregnancy , Animals, Genetically Modified , Astrocytes , Central Nervous System , Cerebellum , Cerebrum , DNA , Embryo Transfer , Embryonic Development , Estrogens , Fibroblasts , Fluorescent Antibody Technique , Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein , Nuclear Transfer Techniques , Ovulation , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , Recombination, Genetic , Regenerative Medicine , RNA, Messenger , Skin , Swine , Tissue Donors , Toxicity Tests , TransgenesABSTRACT
Objective To investigate the expression profile of mRNAs in brain samples collected from pronuclear transfer (PNT) mice. Methods Female CD-1 mice were superovulated, and zygotes were collected after mating with adult male mice. Zygotes with two pronuclei were selected for pronuclear transfer manipulation, and then the reconstructed zygotes were transferred into the oviduct of pseudopregnant female mice. The infant mice obtained from pronuclear transfer were called PNT group, while the embryoes that were not performed pronuclear transfer was regarded as control group. Total RNA were extracted from brain samples of both PNT and control mice, and cDNA were labeled with fluorescent dye. Genes that were differentially expressed were identified using the Agilent mouse mRNA array. Gene ontology analysis and pathway analysis were also completed. Results Compared with control group, 392 mRNAs were expressed differentially, which showed more than 2.0 times variation and statistical significance, accounting for 1.7% of all mRNAs. Among those 366 mRNAs were up-regulated and 26 mRNAs were down-regulated. Eleven mRNAs came to 4.0 times variation in total. Gene ontology analysis indicated that differentially expressed genes were significantly enriched in alternative mRNA splicing, small GTPase mediated signal transduction, regulation of insulin receptor signaling pathway, hydrolase activity, transmembrane transporter activity and pyrophosphatase activity. Significant enriched pathway terms contained ion channel transport, fatty acid metabolism, butanoate metabolism, triacylglycerol and ketone body metabolism. Conclusion Pronuclear transfer might influence some key metabolism process in mouse brain.