• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.6
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• pp.1098-1105
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• 2017

Vesicular stomatitis virus G glycoprotein (VSV-G) has been widely used for pseudotyping retroviral, lentiviral, and artificial viral vectors. The objective of this study was to establish a potential approach for large-scale production of VSV-G. To this end, VSV-G was cloned with an N-terminal His-tag into Pichia pastoris expression vector pPIC3.5K. Three clones ($Mut^s$) containing the VSV-G expression cassette were identified by PCR. All clones proliferated normally in expansion medium, whereas the proliferation was reduced significantly under induction conditions. VSV-G protein was detected in cell lysates by western blot analysis, and the highest expression level was observed at 96 h post induction. VSV-G could also be obtained from the condition medium of yeast protoplasts. Furthermore, VSV-G could be incorporated into Ad293 cells and was able to induce cell fusion, leading to the transfer of cytoplasmic protein. Finally, VSV-G-mediated DNA transfection was assayed by flow cytometry and luciferase measurement. Incubation of VSV-G lysate with the pGL3-control DNA complex increased the luciferase activity in Ad293 and HeLa cells by about 3-fold. Likewise, incubation of VSV-G lysate with the pCMV-DsRed DNA complex improved the transfection efficiency into Ad293 by 10% and into HeLa cells by about 1-fold. In conclusion, these results demonstrate that VSV-G could be produced from P. pastoris with biofunctionalities, demonstrating that large-scale production of the viral glycoprotein is feasible.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.1531-1537
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• 2014

Runt-related transcription factor 3 (RUNX3) is a tumor suppressor gene whose reduced expression may play an important role in the development and progression of esophageal squamous cell cancer (ESCC). The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical relevance of RUNX3 in ESCC patients and effects of overexpression on biological behaviour of Eca109 cells in vitro and in vivo. Immunohistochemistry was performed to detect the clinical relevance of RUNX3 and lymph node metastasis in 80 ESCC tissues and 40 non-cancerous tissues using the SP method. RT-PCR and Western blotting were applied to assess the RUNX3 level and verify the Eca109 cell line with stable overexpression. Localization of RUNX3 proteins was performed by cell immunofluorescence. CCK-8 and Scrape motility assays were used to determine proliferation and migration and the TUNEL assay to analyze cell apoptosis. Invasive potential was assessed in cell transwell invasion experiments. In nude mice, tumorigenesis in vivo was determined. Results showed decreased expression of RUNX3 in esophageal tissue to be significantly related to lymph node metastasis (LNM) (P<0.01). In addition, construction of a recombinant lentiviral vector and transfection into the human ESCC cell line Eca109 demonstrated that overexpression could inhibit cell proliferation, migration and invasion, and induce apoptosis. The in vivo experiments in mice showed tumorigenicity and invasiveness to be significantly reduced. Taken together, our studies indicate that underexpression of RUNX3 in human ESCC tissue is significantly correlated with progression. Restoration of RUNX3 expression significantly inhibits ESCC cells proliferation, migration, invasion and tumorigenesis.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.1077-1082
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• 2015

Recent studies have suggested that the RAS protein activator like-1 (RASAL1) functions as a tumor suppressor in vitro and may play an important role in the development of gastric cancer. However, whether or not RASAL1 suppresses tumor growth in vivo remains to be determined. In the present study, we investigated the role of RASAL1 in gastric carcinogenesis using an in vivo xenograft model. A lentiviral RASAL1 expression vector was constructed and utilized to transfect the human poorly differentiated gastric adenocarcinoma cell line, BGC-823. RASAL1 expression levels were verified by quantitative real-time RT-PCR and Western blotting analysis. Then, we established the nude mice xenograft model using BGC-823 cells either over-expressing RASAL1 or normal. After three weeks, the results showed that the over-expression of RASAL1 led to a significant reduction in both tumor volume and weight compared with the other two control groups. Furthermore, in xenograft tissues the increased expression of RASAL1 in BGC-823 cells caused decreased expression of p-ERK1/2, a downstream moleculein the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK signal pathway. These findings demonstrated that the over-expression of RASAL1 could inhibit the growth of gastric cancer by inactivation of the RAS/RAF/MEK/ERK pathway in vivo. This study indicates that RASAL1 may attenuate gastric carcinogenesis.

• BMB Reports
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• v.44 no.12
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• pp.793-798
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• 2011

Recently, pluripotency induction or cellular reprogramming by introducing critical transcription factors has been extensively studied, but has been demonstrated only in vitro. Based on reports that Oct4 is critically involved in transforming neural stem cells into pluripotent cells, we used the lentiviral vector to introduce the Oct4 gene into the hippocampal dentate gyrus (DG) of adult mice. We examined whether this manipulation led to cellular or behavioral changes, possibly through processes involving the transformation of NS cells into pluripotent cells. The Oct4 lentivirus-infused group and the green fluorescent protein lentivirus-infused group showed a similar thickness of the DG and a comparable level of synaptophysin expression in the DG. Furthermore, our behavioral analyses did not show any differences between the groups concerning exploratory activity, anxiety, or memory abilities. This first trial for pluripotency induction in vivo, despite negative results, provides implications and information for future studies on in vivo cellular reprogramming.

• Korean Journal of Poultry Science
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• v.42 no.3
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• pp.239-245
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• 2015

Transgenic animals have been widely used for developmental biology studies, as disease models, and even in industry such as transgenic bioreactor animals. For transgenic birds, quail has the great advantages of small body size, short generation time, and frequent egg production. To date, retroviral or lentiviral transduction has been used to generate transgenic quail for various purposes. However, the efficiency of transgenic offspring production with these methods is relatively low and viral vector usage has safety issues. Unfortunately, non-viral transgenesis has not been established in quail due to a deficiency of stem cell and germ cell culture systems. In this study, we established a direct in ovo lipofection method that could be used to create transgenic quail without germline-competent cells or viruses. To optimize the injection stage during embryo development, the liposome complex (containing piggyBacCMV-GFP and transposase plasmids) was introduced into an embryonic blood vessel at 50 hr, 55 hr or 60 hr. GFP expression was detected in various tissues (heart, kidney, liver and stomach) on day 12 of incubation under a fluorescence microscope. Additionally, GFP-positive cells were detected in the recipient embryonic gonads. In conclusion, the direct in ovo lipofection method with the piggyBac transposon could be an efficient and useful tool for generating transgenic quail.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.16 no.18
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• pp.8533-8539
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• 2016

Background: B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia B (B-CLL), the most common type of leukemia, may be caused by apoptosis deficiency in the body. Adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cells (AD-MSCs) as providers of pro-apoptotic molecules such as tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL), can be considered as an effective anti-cancer therapy candidate. Therefore, in this study we assessed the role of tumor necrosis factor-producing mesenchymal stem cells oin apoptosis of B-CLL cells resistant to fludarabine-based chemotherapy. Materials and Methods: In this study, after isolation and culture of AD-MSCs, a lentiviral LeGO-iG2-TRAIL-GFP vector containing a gene producing the ligand pro-apoptotic with plasmid PsPAX2 and PMDG2 virus were transfected into cell-lines to generate T293HEK. Then, T293HEK cell supernatant containing the virus produced after 48 and 72 hours was collected, and these viruses were transduced to reprogram AD-MSCs. Apoptosis rates were separately studied in four groups: group 1, AD-MSCs-TRAIL; group 2, AD-MSCs-GFP; group 3, AD-MSCs; and group 4, CLL. Results: Observed apoptosis rates were: group 1, $42{\pm}1.04%$; group 2, $21{\pm}0.57%$; group 3, $19{\pm}2.6%$; and group 4, % $0.01{\pm}0.01$. The highest rate of apoptosis thus occurred ingroup 1 (transduced TRAIL encoding vector). In this group, the average medium-soluble TRAIL was 72.7pg/m and flow cytometry analysis showed a pro-apoptosis rate of $63{\pm}1.6%$, which was again higher than in other groups. Conclusions: In this study we have shown that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) secreted by AD-MSCs may play an effective role in inducing B-CLL cell apoptosis.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.38 no.4
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• pp.275-290
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• 2023

Background: Porcine pluripotent stem cells (pPSCs) would provide enormous potential for agriculture and biomedicine. However, authentic pPSCs have not established yet because standards for pPSCs-specific markers and culture conditions are not clear. Therefore, the present study reports comparative pluripotency characteristics in porcine induced pluripotent stem cells (piPSCs) derived from different viral transduction and reprogramming factors [Lenti-iPSCs (OSKM), Lenti-iPSCs (OSKMNL) and Sev-iPSCs (OSKM)]. Methods: Porcine fibroblasts were induced into Lenti-iPSCs (OSKM) and Lenti-iPSCs (OSKMNL) by using Lentiviral vector and Sev-iPSCs (OSKM) by using Sendaiviral vector. Expressions of endogenous or exogenous pluripotency-associated genes, surface marker and in vitro differentiation in between Lenti-piPSCs (OSKM), Lenti-iPSCs (OSKMNL) and Sev-piPSCs (OSKM) were compared. Results: Colonial morphology of Lenti-iPSCs (OSKMNL) closely resembles the naïve mouse embryonic stem cells colony for culture, whereas Sev-iPSCs (OSKM) colony is similar to the primed hESCs. Also, the activity of AP shows a distinct different in piPSCs (AP-positive (+) Lenti-iPSCs (OSKMNL) and Sev-iPSCs (OSKM), but AP-negative (-) Lenti-iPSCs (OSKM)). mRNAs expression of several marker genes (OCT-3/4, NANOG and SOX2) for pluripotency was increased in Lenti-iPSCs (OSKMNL) and Sev-iPSCs (OSKM), but Sev-iPSCs (OSKM). Interestingly, SSEA-1 of surface markers was expressed only in Sev-iPSCs (OSKM), whereas SSEA-4, Tra-1-60 and Tra-1-81 were positively expressed in Lenti-iPSCs (OSKMNL). Exogenous reprogramming factors continuously expressed in Lenti-iPSCs (OSKMNL) for passage 20, whereas Sev-iPSCs (OSKM) did not express any exogenous transcription factors. Finally, only Lenti-iPSCs (OSKMNL) express the three germ layers and primordial germ cells markers in aggregated EBs. Conclusions: These results indicate that the viral transduction system of reprograming factors into porcine differentiated cells display different pluripotency characteristics in piPSCs.

• Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.394-400
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• 2008

Purpose: Quantitative comparison of transgene expression within stem cells between lentivirus and adenovirus-mediated delivery systems has not been reported. Here, we evaluated the human sodium iodide symporter (hNIS) gene expression in rat mesenchymal stem cell (rMSC) transduced by lentivirus or adenovirus, and compared the hNIS expression quantitatively between the two delivery systems. Materials and Methods: Lentiviral-mediated hNIS expressing rMSC (lenti-hNIS-rMSC) was constructed by cloning hNIS gene into pLenti6/UbC/V5-DEST (Invitrogen) to obtain pLenti-hNIS, transducing rMSC with the pLenti-hNIS, and selecting with blasticidin for 3 weeks. Recombinant adenovirus expressing hNIS gene (Rad-hNIS) was produced by homologous recombination and transduction efficiency of Rad-hNIS into rMSC evaluated by Rad-GFP was $19.1{\pm}4.7%$, $54.0{\pm}6.4%$, $85.7{\pm}8.7%$, and $98.4{\pm}1.3%$ at MOI 1, 5, 20, and 100, respectively. The hNIS expressions in lenti-hNIS-rMSC or adeno-hNIS-rMSC were assessed by immunocytochemistry, western blot, and 1-125 uptake. Results: Immunocytochemistry and western blot analyses revealed that hNIS expressions in lenti-hNIS-rMSC were greater than those in adeno-hNIS-rMSC at MOI 20 but lower than at MOI 50. However in vitro 1-125 uptake test demonstrated that iodide uptake in lenti-hNIS-rMSC ($29,704{\pm}6,659\; picomole/10^6\;cells$) was greater than that in adeno-hNIS-rMSC at MOI 100 ($6,168{\pm}2,134\;picomole/10^6\;cells$). Conclusion: Despite lower amount of expressed protein, hNIS function in rMSC was greater by lentivirus than by adenovirus mediated expression. Stem cell tracking using hNIS as a reporter gene should be conducted in consideration of relative vector efficiency for transgene expression.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.15 no.18
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• pp.7825-7829
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• 2014

Objective: To investigate the effect of high expression of XAF1 in vivo or in vitro on lung cancer cell growth and apoptosis. Methods: 1. The A549 human lung cancer cell line was transfected with Ad5/F35 - XAF1, or Ad5/F35 - Null at the same multiplicity of infection (MOI); (hereinafter referred to as transient transfected cell strain); XAF1 gene mRNA and protein expression was detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting respectively. 2. Methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium (MTT) and annexin V-FITC/PI double staining were used to detect cell proliferation and apoptosis before and after infection of Ad5/F35 - XAF1 with Western blotting for apoptosis related proteins, caspase 3, caspase - 8 and PARP. 3. After the XAF1 gene was transfected into lung cancer A549 cells by lentiviral vectors, and selected by screening with Blasticidin, reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blotting were applied to detect mRNA and protein expression, to establish a line with a stable high expression of XAF1 (hereinafter referred to as stable expression cell strain). Twenty nude mice were randomly divided into groups A and B, 10 in each group: A549/XAF1 stable expression cell strain was subcutaneously injected in group A, and A549/Ctrl stable cell line stable expression cell strain in group B (control group), to observe transplanted tumor growth in nude mice. Results: The mRNA and protein expression of XAF1 in A549 cells transfected by Ad5/F35 - XAF1 was significantly higher than in the control group. XAF1 mediated by adenovirus vector demonstrated a dose dependent inhibition of lung cancer cell proliferation and induction of apoptosis. This was accompanied by cleavage of caspase -3, -8, -9 and PARP, suggesting activation of intrinsic or extrinsic apoptotic pathways. A cell strain of lung cancer highly expressing XAF1 was established, and this demonstrated delayed tumor growth after transplantation in vivo. Conclusion: Adenovirus mediated XAF1 gene expression could inhibit proliferation and induce apoptosis in lung cancer cells in vitro; highly stable expression of XAF1 could also significantly inhibit the growth of transplanted tumors in nude mouse, with no obvious adverse reactions observed. Therefore, the XAF1 gene could become a new target for lung cancer treatment.

• Journal of Embryo Transfer
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.169-175
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• 2013

Recently, the transgenic animal production technique is very important for the production of bio-parmaceutical as animal bio-reactor system. However, the absence of survival evaluation in vitro produced transgenic embryos has been a problem of the low productivity of transgenic animal because of absent of pre-estimate of pregnancy after transgenic embryos transferred into recipient. Therefore, this study is conducted to improve efficiency of transgenic cattle production by improving the non-surgical embryo transfer (ET) method. Transgenic bovine embryos were produced by injection of feline immunodeficiency virus enhanced green fluorescent protein (FIV-EGFP) lentiviral vector into perivitelline space of in vitro matured MII stage oocytes, and then in vitro fertilization (IVF) was occured. Normal IVF and EGFP expressing blastocysts were transferred into recipients. Results indicated that 2 expanded blastocysts (34.7%) transferred group showed significantly (P<0.05) higher pregnancy rate than 1 expanded blastocyst (26.8%) transferred group. In case of parity of recipient, ET to heifer (34.9%) showed significantly (P<0.05) higher pregnancy rate than ET to multiparous recipient (21.2%). However, there are no significant differences of pregnancy rate between natural induced estrus and artificial induced estrus groups. Significantly (P<0.05) higher pregnancy rate was obtained from recipient group which have normal corpus luteum with crown group (34.8%) than normal corpus luteum without crown (13.6%). Additionally, treatment of $100{\mu}g$ Gn-RH injection to recipient group (38.6%) 1 day before ET significantly (P<0.05) increase pregnancy rate than non- Gn-RH injection to recipient group (38.6%). We also transferred 2 EGFP expressing expanded blastocysts to each 19 recipients, 7 recipients were pregnant and finally 5 EGFP transgenic cattle were produced under described ET condition. Therefore, our result suggested that transfer of 2 good-quality expanded blastocysts to $100{\mu}g$ of Gn-RH injected recipient which have normal corpus luteum with crown is feasible to produce transgenic cattle.