Stability of retrovirally transduced markers in a rat cell line

A MoMLV-based retroviral vector capable of transmitting and expressing both the human hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase (hprt) coding sequence and the Herpes simplex type 1 thymidine kinase (tk) gene has been constructed. After infection of a rat cell line, cell clones were selected on the basis of expressing both markers. They were subsequently found to contain a single provirus of the expected topology. The ease with which loss of expression of the markers can be monitored has allowed us to make observations on the stability of proviral genes. In particular, we have found indirect evidence of strong position effects on proviral gene expression by comparing the characteristic frequency of marker loss in different clonal proviral lines. Effects of the selection protocol on the apparent frequency of variants have also been noted. Finally, a combination of molecular and genetic observations lead us to invoke chromosome loss as the major factor influencing marker stability in this system.