Developmental regulation of human fetal-to-adult globin gene switching in transgenic mice

Transgenic mice containing a human fetal (gamma-) or adult (beta-) globin gene linked to the beta-globin gene locus activation region (LAR) express the gene throughout development. By contrast, transgenic mice containing LAR linked to both a fetal and an adult globin gene display the normal developmental switch from fetal to adult gene expression. This suggests that the human fetal-to-adult globin gene switch is controlled through a mutually exclusive interaction between LAR and either the gamma- or beta-globin gene, resulting in the expression of only one gene at any given moment.     

Specific expression of a foreign beta-globin gene in erythroid cells of transgenic mice

The globin gene family represents an attractive system for the study of gene regulation during mammalian development, as its expression is subject to both tissue-specific and temporal regulation. While many aspects of globin gene structure and expression have been described extensively, relatively little is known about the cis-acting DNA sequences involved in the developmental regulation of globin gene expression. To begin to experimentally define these regulatory sequences, we have taken the approach of introducing cloned globin genes into the mouse germ line and examining their expression in the resulting transgenic animals. Here we describe a series of transgenic mice carrying a hybrid mouse/human adult beta-globin gene, several of which express the gene exclusively or predominantly in erythroid tissues. These studies demonstrate that regulatory sequences closely linked to the beta-globin gene are sufficient to specify a correct pattern of tissue-specific expression in a developing mouse, when the gene is integrated at a subset of foreign chromosomal positions.     

Rabbit beta-globin mRNA production in mouse L cells transformed with cloned rabbit beta-globin chromosomal DNA

Mouse thymidine kinase-negative L cells were transformed with a cloned rabbit chromosomal beta-globin gene linked to the clone thymidine kinase gene of herpes simplex virus type 1. Most thymidine kinase-positive cell lines contained one or more copies of rabbit beta-globin DNA and produced up to 2,000 copies of rabbit beta-globin RNA per cell indistinguishable from its authentic counterpart. No mouse beta-globin mRNA was detected.     

Developmental regulation of T-cell receptor gene expression

In contrast to B cells or their antibody products, T lymphocytes have a dual specificity, for both the eliciting foreign antigen and for polymorphic determinants on cell surface glycoproteins encoded in the major histocompatibility complex (MHC restriction). The recent identification of T-cell receptor glycoproteins as well as the genes encoding T-cell receptor subunits will help to elucidate whether MHC proteins and foreign antigens are recognized by two T-cell receptors or by a single receptor. An important feature of MHC restriction is that it appears to be largely acquired by a differentiating T-cell population under the influence of MHC antigens expressed in the thymus, suggesting that precursor T cells are selected on the basis of their reactivity with MHC determinants expressed in the host thymus. To understand this process of 'thymus education', knowledge of the developmental regulation of T-cell receptor gene expression is necessary. Here we report that whereas messenger RNAs encoding the beta-and gamma-subunits are relatively abundant in immature thymocytes, alpha mRNA levels are very low. Interestingly, whereas alpha mRNA levels increase during further development and beta mRNA levels stay roughly constant, gamma mRNA falls to very low levels in mature T cells, suggesting a role for the gamma gene in T-cell differentiation.     

Expression of a microinjected immunoglobulin gene in the spleen of transgenic mice

Transgenic mice were produced by microinjection of a rearranged, functional immunoglobulin kappa gene into fertilized mouse eggs and implantation of the microinjected embryos into foster mothers. Mice that integrated the injected gene were mated and the DNA, RNA and serum kappa chains of their offspring were analysed. The data from offspring of three different transgenic mice indicate that the microinjected gene is expressed in the spleen, but not the liver of mice which inherited the injected gene.     

Regulation of human insulin gene expression in transgenic mice

Insulin is a polypeptide hormone of major physiological importance in the regulation of fuel homeostasis in animals (reviewed in refs 1,2). It is synthesized by the beta-cells of pancreatic islets, and circulating insulin levels are regulated by several small molecules, notably glucose, amino acids, fatty acids and certain pharmacological agents. Insulin consists of two polypeptide chains (A and B, linked by disulphide bonds) that are derived from the proteolytic cleavage of proinsulin, generating equimolar amounts of the mature insulin and a connecting peptide (C-peptide). Humans, like most vertebrates, contain one proinsulin gene, although several species, including mice and rats, have two highly homologous insulin genes. We have studied the regulation of serum insulin levels and of insulin gene expression by generating a series of transgenic mice containing the human insulin gene. We report here that the human insulin gene is expressed in a tissue-specific manner in the islets of these transgenic mice, and that serum human insulin levels are properly regulated by glucose, amino acids and tolbutamide, an oral hypoglycaemic agent.     

T cell depletion in transgenic mice carrying a mutant gene for TCR-beta

Classical T lymphocytes recognize foreign antigens in the context of self major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecules by means of the T-cell receptor (TCR)alpha beta heterodimer. The genes for TCR beta-chains, like immunoglobulin genes, are subject to allelic exclusion. The introduction of a functional TCR-beta gene into the germline of mice prevents rearrangement of endogenous TCR-beta genes. Here we report that the introduction of a non-functional TCR-beta genes. Here we report that the introduction of a non-functional TCR-beta gene with a deletion of the major part of the variable region (delta V-TCR-beta), also inhibits endogenous TCR-beta gene rearrangement. This inhibition is mediated via the encoded protein because impairment of endogenous TCR-beta gene rearrangement is not found if a frameshift mutation is introduced into the DJ region of the delta V-TCR-beta transgene. The delta V-TCR-beta transgene can lead to two phenotypes, in which lymphoid development is perturbed. Phenotype A is characterized by a severe impairment of both T and B cell development as reflected by the complete absence of certain lymphoid organs. In phenotype B, lymphoid organs are macroscopically normal, but T cell differentiation is impeded. Virtually all thymocytes lack membrane expression of TCR-alpha beta, but nevertheless carry the CD4 and CD8 antigens (CD4+CD8+ phenotype); they do not, however, mature further. The defect in mice of phenotype B but not of phenotype A can be corrected by the introduction of a functional TCR-beta gene.     

An embryonic pattern of expression of a human fetal globin gene in transgenic mice

During the evolution of the beta-globin family gene in vertebrates, different globin genes acquired different developmental patterns of expression. In mammals, specific 'embryonic' beta-like globins are synthesized in the earliest erythroid cells, which differentiate in the yolk sac of the embryo. In most mammals the embryonic globin chains are replaced by 'adult' beta-globins in fetal and adult erythrocytes, which arise in the liver and bone marrow, respectively. However, in simian primates (including humans), a distinct 'fetal' type of beta-like globin chain predominates in fetal erythroid cells. Based on the pattern of DNA sequence homologies between different mammalian species, these fetal globin genes, G gamma and A gamma, are thought to have descended from an ancestral gene, 'proto-gamma', which was embryonic in its pattern of expression. In the mouse, as well as in most other mammalian species, the descendants of the proto-gamma gene continue to function as embryonic genes. To investigate the evolutionary changes that led to the 'fetal recruitment' of the gamma-globin genes in primates, we have introduced the cloned human G gamma-globin gene into the mouse germ line. We report here that the human G gamma gene reverts to an embryonic pattern of expression in the developing mouse. This observation suggests that during evolution a shift occurred in the timing of expression of a trans-acting signal controlling the proto-gamma gene.     

Rearrangement of a chicken immunoglobulin gene occurs in the lymphoid lineage of transgenic mice

Immunoglobulin (Ig) and T-cell antigen receptor genes rearrange through identical heptamer-nonamer recognition sequences during entry of cells into the B or T lymphoid lineage. A similar enzymatic machinery may be used to perform these highly cell-specific events in these two types of lymphoid cells. We have investigated what the signal may be that triggers the rearrangement of one or other of the receptor genes in B or T cells. Mice from three transgenic lines carrying two, four or twenty copies of the unrearranged chicken lambda light-chain locus were analysed. In all three lines the chicken Ig transgene rearranges in B cells; in the line with 20 copies, a rearranged fragment can also be detected in thymus DNA. We conclude that the inserted chicken light-chain locus in its natural configuration contains target sequences that permit specific rearrangement in mouse lymphoid B cells, but that this precise differentiation step may be deregulated in thymic cells when the physiological level of relevant information is experimentally altered.     

Site-independent expression of the chicken beta A-globin gene in transgenic mice

The level of expression of exogenous genes carried by transgenic mice typically varies from mouse to mouse and can be quite low. This behaviour is attributed to the influence of the mouse chromatin near the site of transgene integration. This 'position effect' has been seen in transgenic mice carrying the human beta-globin gene. It was however, abolished when DNase I hypersensitive sites (normally found 65 to 44 kilobases (kb) upstream) were linked to the human beta-globin transgene. Thus, the upstream DNA (previously named a dominant control or locus activation region, now denoted a locus control region) conferred the ability to express human beta-globin at high levels dependent on copy number on every mouse carrying the construct. We report here an investigation of chicken beta A-globin gene expression in transgenic mice. A 4.5-kb fragment carrying the beta A-globin gene and its downstream enhancer, without any far upstream elements, is sufficient to ensure that every transgenic mouse expresses chicken globin messenger RNA at levels proportional to the transgene copy number. Thus the chicken DNA elements that allow position-independent expression can function in mice. In marked contrast to the human beta cluster, these elements are no farther than 2 kb from the gene. The location of the elements within the cluster demonstrates that position independence can be mediated by DNA that does not define a gene cluster boundary.     

Tissue-specific expression of rat myosin light-chain 2 gene in transgenic mice

One approach to determining how the differential expression of specific genes is regulated in higher organisms is to introduce cloned copies of the genes (or parts of the genes) into the genomes of individual organisms from the very beginning of their development. The way in which the exogenous genetic information behaves during the development of the experimental organisms can then provide a means of defining the DNA sequences that restrict the expression of the gene to specific cell types and times of development. So far, several different genes have been introduced into the genomes of mice, but in only a few cases have the exogenous genes retained the tissue specificity of expression of the equivalent endogenous genes. I report here that in two out of three 'transgenic' mice carrying copies of the rat gene for skeletal muscle myosin light chain 2, the exogenous gene is expressed specifically in skeletal muscle cells. The sequences contained in the cloned copy of the myosin light-chain 2 gene used in these experiments are thus sufficient to confer a tissue-specific pattern of expression.     

Apoptosis of transgenic cloned and recloned bovine blastocysts

Apoptosis plays an important role in preimplantation embryonic development. Investigating mechanisms of apoptosis can provide useful information for obtaining high-quality embryos and help to improve cloning efficiency. Here, we investigated the incidence of blastomere apoptosis in transgenic blastocysts generated by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and recloning using a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated d-UTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay. Transgenic recloned embryos were the second generation SCNT embryos derived from the somatic cells of a transgenic SCNT calf. The blastocyst rate of transgenic SCNT embryos was lower than that of nontransgenic SCNT embryos. The incidence of apoptosis in transgenic SCNT embryos was higher than that of nontransgenic SCNT embryos. The blastocyst rate and the incidence of apoptosis in transgenic recloned embryos were similar to nontransgenic SCNT embryos. The process of donor cell transfection and drug selection may decrease the developmental capacity of transgenic SCNT embryos. Serial cloning did not influence the developmental capacity of transgenic recloned embryos.     

Production of transgenic mice carrying green fluorescence protein gene by a lentiviral vector-mediated approach

A pseudo-lentivirus, which carries green fluorescence protein (GFP) expressing cassette, was injected into the periv itelline space of murine fertilized oocytes before transplanting into the oviducts of the foster mothers. The GFP transgenic pups were then obtained. By PCR amplification, fluorescent microscopy and flow assisted cytometry sorting analysis, we found that the integration rate of the transgene was estimated at above 40% . Real-time PCR analysis indicated that the copy number of the integrated GFP cassette was around 40. Fluorescent in situ hybridization analysis demonstrated that the integration pattern was random but inheritable. The transgenic mice with multi-integration sites and various expression levels possessed a great value in practice as well as research. The approach reported herein provides an efficient way to generate and screen the transgenic mouse strains.     

Correction of RNA aberrant splice increases foreign gene expression in transgenic mice

Transgenic mice with mammary gland secreting human granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) were produced using mice whey acid protein gene promoter. It was found that there was very low expression level in mammary gland. Human G-CSF cDNA was obtained by RT-PCR from transgenic mice mammary gland. Sequence analysis showed that this G-CSF gene deleted the 4th exon, and compared with human G-CSF genomic DNA, there were donor and acceptor splice sites in the deletion fragment. It was considered that the 3rd and 4th introns also delete in G-CSF fragment. The transgenic construct was corrected by deleting the 3rd and 4th introns to construct the minigene, which was used to produce transgenic mice by microinjection. Northern blot showed that G-CSF expression using the new construct increased 5.4 times as that before in transgenic mice. The results suggested that it was possible that RNA aberrant splice result in low expression in transgenic mice.     

A human immunoglobulin gene reduces the incidence of lymphomas in c-Myc-bearing transgenic mice

Transgenic mice carrying an immunoglobulin enhancer-driven c-myc oncogene develop rapid-onset pre-B cell lymphomas. The incidence of these malignancies is greatly reduced when an additional transgene encoding the membrane-bound form (but not the secreted form) of human Ig mu is bred into the susceptible strain. This suppressive effect correlates with a subtle alteration in B-cell development induced by the immunoglobulin transgene.