title: Production of human CD59-transgenic pigs by embryonic germ cell nuclear transfer.
abstract: This study was performed to produce transgenic pigs expressing the human complement regulatory protein CD59 (hCD59) using the nuclear transfer (NT) of embryonic germ (EG) cells, which are undifferentiated stem cells derived from primordial germ cells. Because EG cells can be cultured indefinitely in an undifferentiated state, they may provide an inexhaustible source of nuclear donor cells for NT to produce transgenic pigs. A total of 1980 NT embryos derived from hCD59-transgenic EG cells were transferred to ten recipients, resulting in the birth of fifteen piglets from three pregnancies. Among these offspring, ten were alive without overt health problems. Based on PCR analysis, all fifteen piglets were confirmed as hCD59 transgenic. The expression of the hCD59 transgene in the ten living piglets was verified by RT-PCR. Western analysis showed the expression of the hCD59 protein in four of the ten RT-PCR-positive piglets. These results demonstrate that hCD59-transgenic pigs could effectively be produced by EG cell NT and that such transgenic pigs may be used as organ donors in pig-to-human xenotransplantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Dankook University School of Medicine, Cheonan, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Kwang Sung
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Ji Young
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Won
authors.forename: Jin-Ki
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Alice M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sorrell
authors.forename: Soon Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Heo
authors.forename: Jee Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Jae-Seok
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Woo
authors.forename: Bong-Hwan
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Choi
authors.forename: Won-Kyong
authors.initials: WK
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Hosup
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shim
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified / Q000235:genetics*; D018957:CD59 Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000166:cytology*; D005854:Germ Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D053652:Nuclear Transfer Techniques; D013552:Swine / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: D018957:CD59 Antigens; C051590:CD59 protein, human