title: Co-expression of multiple transgenes in mouse CNS: a comparison of strategies.
abstract: The introduction of two transgenes into one animal is increasingly common as transgenic experiments become more sophisticated. In this study we examine two strategies for creating double transgenic founders from a single microinjection. In the first approach, two constructs, each with its own promoter element, were coinjected into the pronucleus. In the second approach, both transgenes were cloned into one vector, separated by an internal ribosomal entry site (IRES), and placed under control of a single promoter. Both strategies save time and increase the percentage of double transgenic offspring over the standard method of mating single transgenic lines. However, despite high transgene copy numbers, the bicistronic lines did not show robust expression of either protein. Copy number and protein expression correlated much better in the coinjected lines, with expression levels in one line approaching that observed in some of our best single transgenic controls. Thus we recommend coinjection of individual plasmids for the generation of multiply transgenic founders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, 720 Rutland Ave., 558 Ross Research Building, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
authors.forename: J L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Jankowsky
authors.forename: H H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Slunt
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ratovitski
authors.forename: N A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: N G
authors.initials: NG
authors.lastname: Copeland
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Borchelt
mesh_terms: D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005796:Genes; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D006801:Humans; D015151:Immunoblotting; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D051379:Mice / Q000235:genetics*; D008822:Mice, Transgenic / Q000235:genetics*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D053764:Presenilin-1; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D016564:Amyloid beta-Protein Precursor; D008565:Membrane Proteins; C508853:PSEN1 protein, human; D053764:Presenilin-1