Tightly regulated and homogeneous transgene expression in human adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells by lentivirus with tet-off system

PLoS One. 2013 Jun 12;8(6):e66274. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0066274. Print 2013.

Abstract

Genetic modification of human adipose tissue-derived multilineage progenitor cells (hADMPCs) is highly valuable for their exploitation in therapeutic applications. Here, we have developed a novel single tet-off lentiviral vector platform. This vector combines (1) a modified tetracycline (tet)-response element composite promoter, (2) a multi-cistronic strategy to express an improved version of the tet-controlled transactivator and the blasticidin resistance gene under the control of a ubiquitous promoter, and (3) acceptor sites for easy recombination cloning of the gene of interest. In the present study, we used the cytomegalovirus (CMV) or the elongation factor 1 α (EF-1α) promoter as the ubiquitous promoter, and EGFP was introduced as the gene of interest. hADMPCs transduced with a lentiviral vector carrying either the CMV promoter or the EF-1α promoter were effectively selected by blasticidin without affecting their stem cell properties, and EGFP expression was strictly regulated by doxycycline (Dox) treatment in these cells. However, the single tet-off lentiviral vector carrying the EF-1α promoter provided more homogenous expression of EGFP in hADMPCs. Intriguingly, differentiated cells from these Dox-responsive cell lines constitutively expressed EGFP only in the absence of Dox. This single tet-off lentiviral vector thus provides an important tool for applied research on hADMPCs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adipose Tissue / cytology*
  • Blotting, Western
  • Cell Differentiation / physiology*
  • Cytomegalovirus / genetics
  • DNA Primers / genetics
  • Doxycycline / pharmacology
  • Escherichia coli
  • Flow Cytometry
  • Gene Expression Regulation / drug effects
  • Gene Transfer Techniques*
  • Genetic Vectors / genetics*
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / genetics
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Lentivirus / genetics
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / metabolism*
  • Mesenchymal Stem Cells / physiology
  • Microscopy, Fluorescence
  • Peptide Elongation Factor 1 / genetics
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic / genetics
  • Tetracycline
  • Transgenes / genetics
  • Transgenes / physiology

Substances

  • DNA Primers
  • Peptide Elongation Factor 1
  • enhanced green fluorescent protein
  • Green Fluorescent Proteins
  • Tetracycline
  • Doxycycline

Grants and funding

This work was supported in part by MEXT KAKENHI Grant Number 23791304 to M.M. and 24791927 to H.M. This work was also supported in part by grants from the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare of Japan and a grant from the Program for Promotion of Fundamental Studies in Health Sciences of the National Institute of Biomedical Innovation (NIBIO). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.