title: Stable transgene expression in human embryonic stem cells after simple chemical transfection.
abstract: In this study we used plasmid-based vectors to investigate the transcriptional activities of three commonly used promoters in transient and stable transfection of MEL-1, a human embryonic stem (ES) cell line, using ExGen500, Fugene HD, and Lipofectamine. We demonstrated that cytomegalovirus (CMV), phosphoglycerate kinase (PGK) and human elongation factor-1alpha (EF1alpha) promoters all resulted in robust activity of a reporter gene in MEL-1 ES cell transient transfections regardless of the transfection reagent. Stable transfection outcomes varied, depending on the promoter and the transfection reagent used in the study. The phenomenon of transgene silencing was observed, most notably with the CMV vector, with which no positive stably transfected clones were obtained. Of the methods used in the study, Fugene HD resulted in the highest stable transfection rate, estimated by antibiotic selection, with plasmids containing genes under the control of the EF1alpha or PGK promoters. Stably transfected cells maintained typical hES cell morphology, with immunostaining exhibiting expression of the hES cell markers: Oct4, SSEA4, Tra-1-60, and Tra-1-81. Further, embryoid bodies formed by suspension culture retained reporter gene expression. Following injection into immunodeficient mice, the transfected cell lines showed robust formation of teratomas with cell types representative of the three germ layers.
authors.affiliation: Cell Reprogramming Laboratory, Centre for Reproduction and Development, Monash Institute of Medical Research, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Karen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.forename: Huseyin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sumer
authors.forename: Paul J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Verma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000502:physiology; D002460:Cell Line; D003587:Cytomegalovirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D053595:Embryonic Stem Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000502:physiology*; D015870:Gene Expression; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D051379:Mice; D020648:Peptide Elongation Factor 1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D010735:Phosphoglycerate Kinase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D014162:Transfection / Q000379:methods*; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D020648:Peptide Elongation Factor 1; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D010735:Phosphoglycerate Kinase