title: Optimization of the piggyBac transposon using mRNA and insulators: toward a more reliable gene delivery system.
abstract: Integrating and expressing stably a transgene into the cellular genome remain major challenges for gene-based therapies and for bioproduction purposes. While transposon vectors mediate efficient transgene integration, expression may be limited by epigenetic silencing, and persistent transposase expression may mediate multiple transposition cycles. Here, we evaluated the delivery of the piggyBac transposase messenger RNA combined with genetically insulated transposons to isolate the transgene from neighboring regulatory elements and stabilize expression. A comparison of piggyBac transposase expression from messenger RNA and DNA vectors was carried out in terms of expression levels, transposition efficiency, transgene expression and genotoxic effects, in order to calibrate and secure the transposition-based delivery system. Messenger RNA reduced the persistence of the transposase to a narrow window, thus decreasing side effects such as superfluous genomic DNA cleavage. Both the CTF/NF1 and the D4Z4 insulators were found to mediate more efficient expression from a few transposition events. We conclude that the use of engineered piggyBac transposase mRNA and insulated transposons offer promising ways of improving the quality of the integration process and sustaining the expression of transposon vectors.
authors: GICC, UMR CNRS 7292, Université François Rabelais, Tours, France ; Institute of Biotechnology, University of Lausanne, and Center for Biotechnology UNIL-EPFL, Lausanne, Switzerland ; PRC, UMR INRA-CNRS 7247, Centre INRA Val de Loire, Nouzilly, France.
authors: Solenne
authors: S
authors: Bire
authors: Déborah
authors: D
authors: Ley
authors: Sophie
authors: S
authors: Casteret
authors: Nicolas
authors: N
authors: Mermod
authors: Yves
authors: Y
authors: Bigot
authors: Florence
authors: F
authors: Rouleux-Bonnin
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D018014:Gene Transfer Techniques; D005822:Genetic Vectors / Q000235:genetics; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D019895:Transposases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019895:Transposases