• Plant Biotechnology Reports
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• v.3 no.4
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• pp.277-283
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• 2009

One of the limitations to conducting maize Agrobacterium-mediated transformation using explants of immature zygotic embryos routinely is the availability of the explants. To produce immature embryos routinely and continuously requires a well-equipped greenhouse and laborious artificial pollination. To overcome this limitation, an Agrobacterium-mediated transformation system using explants of type II embryogenic calli was developed. Once the type II embryogenic calli are produced, they can be subcultured and/or proliferated conveniently. The objectives of this study were to demonstrate a stable Agrobacterium-mediated transformation of maize using explants of type II embryonic calli and to evaluate the efficiency of the protocol in order to develop herbicide-resistant maize. The type II embryogenic calli were inoculated with Agrobacterium tumefaciens strain C58C1 carrying binary vector pTF102, and then were subsequently cultured on the following media: co-cultivation medium for 1 day, delay medium for 7 days, selection medium for $4{\times}14$ days, regeneration medium, and finally on germination medium. The T-DNA of the vector carried two cassettes (Ubi promoter-EPSPs ORF-nos and 35S promoter-bar ORF-nos). The EPSPs conferred resistance to glyphosate and bar conferred resistance to phosphinothricin. The confirmation of stable transformation and the efficiency of transformation was based on the resistance to phosphinothricin indicated by the growth of putative transgenic calli on selection medium amended with $4mg\;1^{-1}$ phosphinothricin, northern blot analysis of bar gene, and leaf painting assay for detection of bar gene-based herbicide resistance. Northern blot analysis and leaf painting assay confirmed the expression of bar transgenes in the $R_1$ generation. The average transformation efficiency was 0.60%. Based on northern blot analysis and leaf painting assay, line 31 was selected as an elite line of maize resistant to herbicide.

• Reproductive and Developmental Biology
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.235-239
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• 2005

This study was conducted to test whether the transgenic cattle pass the transgene to their progeny through germ cells, and whether the transgene is expressed in the mammary gland of ransgenic cows. Two male ransgenic calves were born from IVF-derived embryos injected with bovine $\beta-casein/human$ lactoferrin fusion gene and then grew up to be reproducible. Semen was collected from a transgenic bull after 18 mon of age and then frozen. Bovine oocytes matured in vitro were fertilized with spermatozoa of the transgenic bull and cultured in $50\;{\mu}L$ drops of CRlaa medium supplemented with 3 mg/mL BSA. After 48 h of culture, cleaved embryos were determined for the presence of transgenes by DNA polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Proportion of transgene positives among bovine embryos fertilized with sperm of the transgenic bull was $20.9\%$ (28/134). One of transgenic bulls did not produce transgenic sperm. Out of 34 calves produced from recipient heifers inseminated with semen of the other bull, 3 $(8.8\%)$ were transgenic animals (2 females and 1 male). Thus, one transgenic bull showed a low transmission frequency below Mendelian levels in both the IVF-derived embryos and his progeny. It was demonstrated by Southern blot that copy numbers of the transgene in the transgenic progeny enhanced about 1.8 times as compared to those of the founder bull The results demonstrate that the transgenic bull carrying human lactoferrin gene could pass his transgene to the progeny through germ cells, although he is a germ-line mosaic.

• Animal cells and systems
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• v.1 no.4
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• pp.657-663
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• 1997

The CD4 and CDS coreceptors, in conjunction with the T cell receptor (TCR) , make important contributions to the differentiation of thymocytes. They have been shown to be involved in the clonal deletion and positive selection processes during T cell development in thymus. To further analyze the role of CD4 and CDS proteins during T cell differentiation, we have generated transgenic mice constitutively expressing high levels of a native CD4 and a CD4{CDSa hybrid protein. The hybrid protein is composed of CD4 extracellular domain linked to the CD8a transmembrane region and cytoplasmic tail. The transgenes were driven by human beta-actin promoter, and therefore, they were expressed in all tissues examined including thymus, spleen, and lymph nodes. The resulting CD4 and CD4{CD8${\alpha}$transgenic mice were found to express the CD4 and CD4{CD8${\alpha}$ respectively, in developing thymocytes and peripheral T cells. The expression levels of transgenic proteins were 5-10 times higher than that of endogenous CD4 in thymus. However, total surface CD4 expression (CD4 or CD4{CD8${\alpha}$ transgenic protein plus endogenous CD4) of the transgenic mice were main. tained at similar levels compared to control littermates. Surface CD4 expression on CDS T cells, however, was significantly lower than that on cells expressing endogenous CD4. These results suggest that a total avidity between developing thymocytes and thymic stromal cells is impor. tant for differentiation of thymocytes.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.225-228
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• 2015

Understanding the behavior of transgenes introduced into oocyte or embryos is essential for evaluating the methodologies for transgenic animal production. To date, many studies have reported the production of transgenic pig embryos with, however, low efficiency in environment of blastocyst production. The aim of present study was to determine the expression and duration of transgene transferred by intracytoplasmic sperm injection-mediated gene transfer (ICSI-MGT). Embryos obtained from the ICSI-MGT procedure were analysed for the expression of GFP and then for the transmission of the transgene. Briefly, fresh spermatozoa were bound to exogenous DNA after treatment by Triton X-100 and Lipofectin. When ICSI-MGT was performed using sperm heads with tails removed, the yield of blastocyst (25.3%), treated with Lipofectin (18.8%) and Triton X-100 (19.2%) were observed. Treatments of Lipofectin or Triton X-100 did not further improve the rates of blastocysts. Moreover, the apoptosis rates of embryos were obtained from the control and LIpofectin groups (8.7%, 9.7%, respectively), but were significantly higher in the Triton X-100 group (13.0%). Our results demonstrated that ICSI-MGT caused minimal damage to oocytes that could develop to full term. Moreover, the embryos derived by ICSI-MGT have shown prolonged exogenous DNA expression during preimplantation stage in vivo. However, more efforts will be required to improve the procedures of both sperm treatments cause of high frequency of mosaicisms.

• International Journal of Industrial Entomology and Biomaterials
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.107-114
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• 2010

For stable germline transformation, the promoter of Bombyx mori cytoplasmic actin gene (BmA3) has been used for ubiquitous expression of transgenes. So far, no strong promoter is available for ubiquitous expression in B. mori, excluding BmA3 promoter. To identify more powerful promoter than previously reported BmA3 promoter, we isolated 9 clones that show stronger signal compared to BmA3 by a dot blot hybridization. Among these 9 clones, we focused on one clone which has high amino acid homology (85%) with hypothetical protein 32 gene of Lonomia obliqua. This clone, named bHp32 (B. mori hypothetical protein 32) was ubiquitously expressed in all tissues and developmental stage of fifth instar B. mori larvae. As result of promoter assay using dual luciferase assay system, we found the highest transcription activity region (-1,200/+220) in the 5'-flanking region of bHp32 gene, which has 42-fold more intensive promoter activity than BmA3 promoter. Moreover, the bHp32 promoter was normally regulated in Bm5, Sf9, and S2 cells. Therefore, we suggest that bHp32 promoter may be used more powerful and effectively for transgene expression in various insects containing B. mori as a universal promoter.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.442-450
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• 2015

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of Psy-2A-CrtI (PAC), a genetically modified (GM) rice with enhanced ${\beta}$-carotene, on the soil microbial community. The soil used to cultivate GM rice and its wild-type, Nakdong, was analyzed for population density, denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE), and pyrosequencing. It was found that the bacterial, fungal and actinomycetes population densities of the PAC soils were within the range of those of the non-GM rice cultivar, Nakdong. The DGGE banding patterns of the GM and non-GM soils were also similar, suggesting that the bacterial community structures were stable within a given month and were unaffected by the presence of a GM plant. The pyrosequencing result showed a temporal difference in microorganism taxon and distribution ratio, but no significant difference between GM and non-GM was found. The persistence of the transgene DNA in the plant and surrounding soil were investigated for different time periods. There were differences in the persistence within the plant depending on the gene, but they could not be detected after 5 weeks. Also the transgenes were not detected in the surrounding soil. These results indicate that soil microbial communities are unaffected by the cultivation of a PAC rice within the experimental time frame.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.48 no.4
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• pp.246-254
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• 2021

Environmental stresses are estimated to have reduced global crop yields of wheat by 5.5%. However, traditional approaches for the transfer of resistance to these stresses in wheat plants have yielded limited results. In this regard, genetic transformation has undoubtedly opened up new avenues to overcome crop losses due to various abiotic stresses. Particle bombardment has been successfully employed for obtaining transgenic wheat. However, most of these procedures employ immature embryos, which are not available throughout the year. Therefore, the present investigation utilized mature seeds as the starting material and used the calli raised from three Moroccan durum wheat varieties as the target tissue for genetic transformation by the biolistic approach. The pANIC-5E plasmid containing the SINA gene for drought and salinity tolerance was used for genetic transformation. To enhance the regeneration capacity and transformation efficiency of the tested genotypes, the study compared the effect of copper supplementation in the induction medium (up to 5 μM) with the standard MS medium. The results show that the genotypes displayed different sensitivities to CuSO₄, indicating that the transformation efficiency was highly genotype-dependent. The integration of transgenes in the T₀ transformants was demonstrated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis of the obtained resistant plantlets with primers specific to the SINA gene. Among the three genotypes studied, 'Isly' showed the highest efficiency of 9.75%, followed by 'Amria' with 1.25% and 'Chaoui' with 1%.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.47 no.1
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• pp.100005.1-100005.15
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• 2024

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a devastating neurodegenerative disease with a complex genetic basis, presenting both in familial and sporadic forms. The hexanucleotide (G₄C₂) repeat expansion in the C9orf72 gene, which triggers distinct pathogenic mechanisms, has been identified as a major contributor to familial and sporadic Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis cases. Animal models have proven pivotal in understanding these mechanisms; however, discrepancies between models due to variable transgene sequence, expression levels, and toxicity profiles complicate the translation of findings. Herein, we provide a systematic comparison of 7 publicly available Drosophila transgenes modeling the G₄C₂ expansion under uniform conditions, evaluating variations in their toxicity profiles. Further, we tested 3 previously characterized disease-modifying drugs in selected lines to uncover discrepancies among the tested strains. Our study not only deepens our understanding of the C9orf72 G₄C₂ mutations but also presents a framework for comparing constructs with minute structural differences. This work may be used to inform experimental designs to better model disease mechanisms and help guide the development of targeted interventions for neurodegenerative diseases, thus bridging the gap between model-based research and therapeutic application.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.804-811
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• 2024

Foamy viruses (FVs) are generally recognized as non-pathogenic, often causing asymptomatic or mild symptoms in infections. Leveraging these unique characteristics, FV vectors hold significant promise for applications in gene therapy. This study introduces a novel platform technology using a pseudo-virus with single-round infectivity. In contrast to previous vector approaches, we developed a technique employing only two vectors, pcHFV lacking Env and pCMV-Env, to introduce the desired genes into target cells. Our investigation demonstrated the efficacy of the prototype foamy virus (PFV) dual-vector system in producing viruses and delivering transgenes into host cells. To optimize viral production, we incorporated the codon-optimized Env (optEnv) gene in pCMV-Env and the Woodchuck Hepatitis Virus Posttranscriptional Regulatory Element (WPRE) at the 3' end of the transgene in the transfer vector. Consequently, the use of optEnv led to a significant enhancement in transgene expression in host cells. Additionally, the WPRE exhibited an enhancing effect. Furthermore, the introduced EGFP transgene was present in host cells for a month. In an effort to expand transgene capacity, we further streamlined the viral vector, anticipating the delivery of approximately 4.3 kbp of genes through our PFV dual-vector system. This study underscores the potential of PFVs as an alternative to lentiviruses or other retroviruses in the realm of gene therapy.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.294-299
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• 2004

Purpose: Both human NIS and mutant $D_2R$ transgenes are proposed as reporting system in transplanted cell tracking. Using hepatoma cell lines, we constructed a dual reporter system containing human sodium-iodide symporter (hNIS) and dopamine 2 receptor ($D_2R$) and compared its characteristics. Materials and Methods: The recombinant plasmid ($pIRES-hNIS/D_2R$) was constructed with IRES (internal ribosome entry site) under control of the CMV promoter $pIRES-hNIS/D_2R$ was transfected to human hepatoma SK-Hep1 cell line with lipofectamine. HEP-ND ($SK-Hep1-hNIS/D_2R$) cells stably expressing hNIS and $D_2R$ was established by selection with G418 for two weeks. RT-PCR was performed to investigate the expression of both hNIS and $D_2R$ genes. The expressions of hNIS and $D_2R$ were measured by $^{125}I$ uptake assays and receptor binding assays. Specific binding of $D_2R$ to $[^3H]spiperone$ was verified by Scatchard plot with (+) butaclamol as a specific inhibitor. $K_d\;and\;B_{max}$ values were estimated. The correlation between hNIS and $D_2R$ expression was compared by using each clone. Results: Similar quantities of hNIS and $D_2R$ genes were expressed on HEP-ND as RT-PCR assays. HEP-ND cells showed 30 to 40 fold higher radioiodine uptakes than those of parental SK-Hep1 cells. $^{125}I$ uptake in HEP-ND cells was completely inhibited by $KClO_4$, a NIS inhibitor Specific binding to HEP-ND cells was saturable and the $K_d\;and\;B_{max}$ values for HEP-ND cells were 2.92 nM, 745.25 fmol/mg protein and 2.91nM, 1323 fmole/mg protein in two clones, respectively. The radioiodine uptake by hNIS activity and $D_2R$ binding was highly correlated. Conclusion: We developed a dual positron and gamma imaging reporter system of hNIS and $D_2R$ in a stably transfected cell line. We expect that $D_2R$ and hNIS genes can complement mutually as a nuclear reporting system or that $D_2R$ can be used as reporter gene when hNIS gene were used as a treatment gene.