Inducible gene expression by retrovirus-mediated transfer of a modified tetracycline-regulated system

The ability to regulate gene expression via exogenous stimuli will facilitate the study of gene functions in mammalian cells. In the present study, we modified the tetracycline-controlled inducible system by the addition of the ligand-binding domain of the estrogen receptor to the carboxy terminus of the tTA transactivator. A single retroviral vector can transduce both the transactivator gene and the gene of interest controlled by the tTA-inducible promoter into mammalian cells. We show that cell lines expressing the transactivator can readily be established and that expression of the gene of interest depends on the removal of tetracycline and the addition of estrogen. By using this system, cell lines with inducible expression of the G protein of vesicular stomatitis virus, a potentially toxic gene product, were established. The combination of a powerful inducible system and retrovirus-mediated gene transfer can not only be used to study gene function but may also be applied in the future to clinical trials in human gene therapy.