title: Production of multiple transgenic Yucatan miniature pigs expressing human complement regulatory factors, human CD55, CD59, and H-transferase genes.
abstract: The present study was conducted to generate transgenic pigs coexpressing human CD55, CD59, and H-transferase (HT) using an IRES-mediated polycistronic vector. The study focused on hyperacute rejection (HAR) when considering clinical xenotransplantation as an alternative source for human organ transplants. In total, 35 transgenic cloned piglets were produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) and were confirmed for genomic integration of the transgenes from umbilical cord samples by PCR analysis. Eighteen swine umbilical vein endothelial cells (SUVEC) were isolated from umbilical cord veins freshly obtained from the piglets. We observed a higher expression of transgenes in the transgenic SUVEC (Tg SUVEC) compared with the human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC). Among these genes, HT and hCD59 were expressed at a higher level in the tested Tg organs compared with non-Tg control organs, but there was no difference in hCD55 expression between them. The transgenes in various organs of the Tg clones revealed organ-specific and spatial expression patterns. Using from 0 to 50% human serum solutions, we performed human complement-mediated cytolysis assays. The results showed that, overall, the Tg SUVEC tested had greater survival rates than did the non-Tg SUVEC, and the Tg SUVEC with higher HT expression levels tended to have more down-regulated α-Gal epitope expression, resulting in greater protection against cytotoxicity. By contrast, several Tg SUVEC with low CD55 expression exhibited a decreased resistance response to cytolysis. These results indicated that the levels of HT expression were inversely correlated with the levels of α-Gal epitope expression and that the combined expression of hCD55, hCD59, and HT proteins in SUVECs markedly enhances a protective response to human serum-mediated cytolysis. Taken together, these results suggest that combining a polycistronic vector system with SCNT methods provides a fast and efficient alternative for the generation of transgenic large animals with multiple genetic modifications.
authors.affiliation: Sooam Biotech Research Foundation, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Chi-Hun
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Gun-Hyuk
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Yeun-Ik
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: In-Sung
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Hwang
authors.forename: Yeon-Woo
authors.initials: YW
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Yu-Kyung
authors.initials: YK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Taeyoung
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.forename: Nam-Hyung
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Sang-Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Hyun
authors.forename: Eui-Bae
authors.initials: EB
authors.lastname: Jeung
authors.forename: Woo-Suk
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Hwang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D030801:Animals, Genetically Modified; D018958:CD55 Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D018957:CD59 Antigens / Q000235:genetics*; D016923:Cell Death; D002469:Cell Separation; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000235:genetics*; D004622:Embryo, Mammalian / Q000378:metabolism; D042783:Endothelial Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000378:metabolism; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005647:Fucosyltransferases / Q000235:genetics*; D005690:Galactose / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009928:Organ Specificity / Q000235:genetics; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D044967:Serum; D013552:Swine / Q000235:genetics*; D013556:Swine, Miniature / Q000235:genetics*; D019076:Transgenes
chemical_list: D018958:CD55 Antigens; D018957:CD59 Antigens; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D003165:Complement System Proteins; D005647:Fucosyltransferases; D005690:Galactose