Stable skin-specific overexpression of human CTLA4-Ig in transgenic mice through seven generations

Acta Biochim Biophys Sin (Shanghai). 2006 Mar;38(3):171-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1745-7270.2006.00144.x.

Abstract

Skin graft rejection is a typical cellular immune response, mainly mediated by T cells. Cytotoxic T lymphocyte associated antigen 4-immunoglobin (CTLA4-Ig) extends graft survival by blocking the T cell co-stimulation pathway and inhibiting T cell activation. To investigate the efficacy of CTLA4-Ig in prolonging skin graft survival, human CTLA4-Ig (hCTLA4-Ig) was engineered to overexpress in mouse skin by transgenesis using the K14 promoter. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot assay indicated that the expression of CTLA4-Ig remained skin-specific and relatively constant compared to the internal control protein, AKT, through seven generations. The presence and concentration of the hCTLA4-Ig protein in transgenic mouse sera was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the results indicated that the serum CTLA4-Ig concentration also remained constant through generations. Survival of transgenic mouse skins grafted onto rat wounds was remarkably prolonged compared to that of wild-type skins from the same mouse strain, and remained comparable among all seven generations. This suggested that the bioactive hCTLA4-Ig protein was stably expressed in transgenical mice through at least seven generations, which was consistent with the stable skin-specific CTLA4-Ig expression. The results demonstrated that the transgenic expression of hCTLA4-Ig in skin driven by the K14 promoter remained constant through generations, and a transgenic line can be established to provide transgenic skin with extended survival reproducibly.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Abatacept
  • Animals
  • Antigens, Differentiation / genetics
  • Antigens, Differentiation / immunology*
  • Antigens, Differentiation / metabolism
  • Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay
  • Gene Expression Regulation
  • Graft Survival*
  • Humans
  • Immunoconjugates / genetics
  • Immunoconjugates / immunology
  • Immunoconjugates / metabolism*
  • Immunosuppressive Agents / pharmacology
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Skin / immunology
  • Skin / metabolism*
  • Skin Transplantation
  • T-Lymphocytes / immunology
  • T-Lymphocytes / metabolism
  • Time Factors

Substances

  • Antigens, Differentiation
  • Immunoconjugates
  • Immunosuppressive Agents
  • Abatacept