title: Production of cloned embryos from caprine mammary epithelial cells expressing recombinant human β-defensin-3.
abstract: Transgenic animals that express antimicrobial agents in their milk can inhibit bacterial pathogens that cause mastitis. Our objective was to produce human β-defensin-3 (HBD3) transgenic embryos by nuclear transfer using goat mammary epithelial cells (GMECs) as donor cells. Three GMEC lines (GMEC1, GMEC2, and GMEC3) were transfected with a HBD3 mammary-specific expression vector by electroporation. There was a difference (P < 0.05) in the rate of geneticin-resistant colony formation among cell lines GMEC1, GMEC2, and GMEC3 (39 and 47 vs. 19 colonies per 3 × 10(6) cells, respectively). After inducing expression, the mRNA and protein of HBD3 were detected by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis in transgenic cells. Transgenic clonal cells expressing HBD3 were used as donor cells to investigate development of cloned embryos. There were no significant differences in rates of cleavage or blastocyst formation of cloned embryos from transgenic (GMEC1T2 and GMEC2T3) and nontransgenic (GMEC1 and GMEC2) GMECs (72.3 ± 5.0%, 69.5 ± 2.3%, 61.8 ± 4.8%, and 70.0 ± 2%; and 16.8 ± 0.5%, 17.5 ± 0.7%, 16.7 ± 0.9%, and 17.5 ± 0.6%, respectively). However, the fusion rate, cleavage rate, and blastocyst formation rate of cloned embryos from a transgenic clonal cell line (GMEC2T6, 50.7 ± 2.1%, 55.5 ± 2.0%, and 11.1 ± 0.6%) were lower than those of other groups (P < 0.05). We concluded that genetic modification of GMECs might not influence the in vitro development of cloned embryos, but that some of the transgenic clonal cells were not suitable for nuclear transfer to produce transgenic goats, because of low developmental rates. However, transgenic GMECs expressing HBD3 might be used as donor cells for producing transgenic goats that express increased concentrations of β-defensins in their milk.
authors.affiliation: College of Veterinary Medicine, Northwest A&F University, Key Laboratory of Animal Biotechnology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Qingqing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Liming
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Zhongcai
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Yongsheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Jianmin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Fusheng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D019976:Cloning, Organism / Q000662:veterinary*; D004847:Epithelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006041:Goats; D006801:Humans; D008321:Mammary Glands, Animal / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008892:Milk / Q000737:chemistry; D053652:Nuclear Transfer Techniques / Q000662:veterinary; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D014162:Transfection; D023083:beta-Defensins / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C422950:DEFB103A protein, human; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D023083:beta-Defensins