title: Expression of recombinant human follicle-stimulating hormone in the mammary gland of transgenic mice.
abstract: In this article, we describe the use of a caprine beta-lactoglobulin (betaLG) expression cassette previously obtained by our group to target the expression of the human follicle-stimulating hormone (hFSH) to the mammary gland of transgenic mice. The hFSH is a pituitary glycoprotein composed of two subunits (alpha and beta). At present, this protein is obtained from mammalian cellular fermentors, and it is extensively used in the treatment of human infertility. Four lines of double (hFSHalpha/beta) transgenic mice that stably transmitted the transgenes were obtained, and hFSHalpha and hFSHbeta mRNA was detected by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in the mammary gland of lactating females from all four transgenic lines. The hFSH protein was present in the mammary gland of the lactating females, but could not be detected in the milk by Western blot, probably as a result of low levels of transgene expression.
authors.affiliation: Departament de Ciència Animal i dels Aliments, Facultat de Veterinària, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra 08193, Spain. maria.ballester@uab.es
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ballester
authors.forename: Armand
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez
authors.forename: Josep
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Santaló
authors.forename: Josep M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Folch
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ibáñez
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D042361:Mammary Glands, Human / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D008822:Mice, Transgenic / Q000378:metabolism*; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry*; D015202:Protein Engineering / Q000379:methods*; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis
chemical_list: D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone