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Generation of transgenic chicks using an oviduct-specific expression system
1College of Animal Science and Technology, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, China. hkaleri@hotmail.com
Genetics and Molecular Research : GMR
|December 20, 2011
Summary
Researchers successfully expressed human plasminogen activator in chicken oviducts using a novel vector. This genetic modification is heritable, offering a new method for producing recombinant proteins in poultry.
Area of Science:
- Genetics
- Molecular Biology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- The ovalbumin gene locus in chicken oviducts is a target for genetic modification.
- Production of recombinant proteins in poultry offers economic and therapeutic advantages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop an oviduct-specific gene delivery system in chickens.
- To express human plasminogen activator (tPA) in the oviducts of laying hens.
Main Methods:
- Construction of lentiviral vectors including pL-eGFP, pL-tPAGFP, and pL-2.8OVtPAGFP.
- Transfection of various cell lines (293FT, chicken primordial germ cells, Hela C127, oviduct epithelial cells).
- In ovo injection of lentivirus carrying pL-2.8OVtPAGFP into fertilized chicken eggs, followed by breeding of G₀ and G₁ generations.
Main Results:
- The pL-2.8OVtPAGFP vector demonstrated oviduct-specific expression in transfected cells.
- Four out of eleven hatched G₀ chicks carried the tPAGFP transgene.
- Three out of the resulting G₁ chicks inherited the tPAGFP transgene.
Conclusions:
- An oviduct-specific vector enables the expression of human recombinant plasminogen activator protein in laying hen oviducts.
- The introduced trait is heritable and can be reproduced.
- This approach provides a viable method for producing therapeutic proteins in poultry.
