title: DNA-mediated gene transfer into adult rat hepatocytes in primary culture.
abstract: Proliferation-competent and differentiation-competent adult rat hepatocytes in primary culture were investigated for their ability to express reporter genes (firefly luciferase, bacterial chloramphenicol acetyltransferase, and bacterial beta-galactosidase) driven by tumor virus or eucaryotic promoters that vary in transcriptional efficiency and tissue specificity. Supercoiled plasmid DNA molecules were introduced into the cells by the calcium phosphate coprecipitation protocol of C. Chen and H. Okayama (Mol. Cell. Biol. 7:2745-2752, 1987). Reporter gene expression was virtually restricted to hepatocytes and was efficient (2 to 20% of the cells). The patterns and absolute levels of reporter gene expression depended on assay conditions employed (plasmid concentration [optimal at 2.4 micrograms of DNA per ml] and duration of exposure [optimal between 5 and 10 h]), culture growth cycle stages (lag, log, or stationary phase), properties and tissue specificity of the promoter(s) tested, and composition (and timing of fluid change) of the culture medium with or without the hepatocyte mitogen human transforming growth factor-alpha. Initial observations suggest that during hepatocellular growth transitions, human transforming growth factor-alpha differentially regulates exogenously introduced promoters associated with hepatocyte-specific function and proliferation. These findings provide a simple, fast, and powerful approach to analyzing the molecular and cellular biology of hepatocyte growth control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla 92093.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Rippe
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Brenner
authors.forename: H L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Leffert
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase / Q000235:genetics; D001517:Coleoptera / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology / Q000235:genetics; D005796:Genes; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000201:enzymology*; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D010957:Plasmids; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D014162:Transfection; D015291:Transforming Growth Factors / Q000494:pharmacology; D001616:beta-Galactosidase / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D015291:Transforming Growth Factors; D008156:Luciferases; D015500:Chloramphenicol O-Acetyltransferase; D001616:beta-Galactosidase