Targeting of gene expression to skeletal and cardiac muscle of trangenic animals.
The tissue restricted and developmental potentiation of transcription by chicken alpha-skeletal actin promoter regions fused to the reporter gene chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) were characterized in transgenic mice. Six of eight expressing transgenic mouse lines containing the chicken alpha-skeletal actin promoter fused to CAT resulted in preferential transgene transcription in skeletal muscle tissue, similar to the endogenous mouse alpha-skeletal actin gene. Two of the eight lines departed from the preferred pattern of skeletal muscle expression with primary expression of the transgene in the heart, a tissue containing primarily cardiac actin isoforms. Developmentally, a transition from embryonic heart to fetal and neonatal skeletal muscle expression was produced by the transgene promoter, a pattern of regulation similar to that of the endogenous alpha-skeletal actin gene. Instances of departure of transgene expression from the endogenous gene implied the existance of higher order muscle gene regulatory mechanisms.
Sands
A T
AT
Department of Cell Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston TX 77030.
DeMayo
F
F
Lei
X
X
Schwartz
R J
RJ
D000199:Actins / Q000235:genetics*; D000818:Animals; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics; D015870:Gene Expression; D006321:Heart / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development; D051379:Mice; D008813:Mice, Inbred ICR; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D024510:Muscle Development; D009132:Muscles / Q000196:embryology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009206:Myocardium / Q000378:metabolism*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis
D000199:Actins; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase