Gene transfer and expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein in variant HT-29c cells.
OBJECTIVE
To study the expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) gene in retrovirally transduced variant HT-29 cells.


METHODS
The retroviral vector prkat EGFP/neo was constructed and transfected into the 293T cell using a standard calcium phosphate precipitation method. HT-29c cells (selected from HT-29 cells) were transduced by a retroviral vector encoding the GEFP gene. The fluorescence intensity of colorectal carcinoma HT-29c cells after transduced with the EGFP bearing retrovirus was visualized using fluorescence microscope and fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS) analysis. Multiple biological behaviors of transduced cells such as the proliferating potential and the expression of various antigens were comparatively analyzed between untransduced and transduced cells in vitro. EGFP expression of the fresh tumor tissue was assessed in vivo.


RESULTS
After transduced, HT-29c cells displayed a stable and long-term EGFP expression under the nonselective conditions in vitro. After cells were successively cultured to passage 50 in vitro, EGFP expression was still at a high level. Their biological behaviors, such as expression of tumor antigens, proliferation rate and aggregation capability were not different compared to untransduced parental cells in vitro. In subcutaneous tumors, EGFP was stable and highly expressed.


CONCLUSIONS
An EGFP expressing retroviral vector was used to transduce HT-29c cells. The transduced cells show a stable and long-term EGFP expression in vitro and in vivo. These cells with EGFP are a valuable tool for in vivo research of tumor metastatic spread.
Wang
Min
M
Department of Surgical Oncology, First Affiliated Hospital of Medical College, Zhejiang University, 79# Qingchun Road, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang Province, China. pfeng@mail.hz.zj.cn
Boenicke
Lars
L
Howard
Bradley D
BD
Vogel
Ilka
I
Kalthoff
Holger
H
D015870:Gene Expression; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005822:Genetic Vectors; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D006801:Humans; D008164:Luminescent Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D012190:Retroviridae / Q000235:genetics; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
D008164:Luminescent Proteins; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins