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At least 379 records · Page 21Linked to original sources

In vivo expansion of gene-modified hematopoietic cells by a novel selective amplifier gene utilizing the erythropoietin receptor as a molecular switch.

BACKGROUND: In vivo expansion of gene-modified cells would be a promising approach in the field of hematopoietic stem cell gene therapy. To this end, we previously developed a selective amplifier gene (SAG), a chimeric gene encoding the granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) receptor (GCR), as a growth-signal generator and the hormone-binding domain of the steroid receptor as a molecular switch. We have already reported that hematopoietic cells retrovirally transduced with the SAG can be expanded in a steroid-dependent manner in vitro and in vivo in mice and nonhuman primates. In this study, we have developed a new-generation SAG, in which the erythropoietin (EPO) receptor (EPOR) is utilized instead of the steroid receptor as a molecular switch. METHODS: Two EPO-driven SAGs were constructed, EPORGCR and EPORMpl, containing the GCR and c-Mpl as a signal generator, respectively. First, to compare the steroid-driven and EPO-driven SAGs, Ba/F3 cells were transduced with these SAGs. Next, to examine whether GCR or c-Mpl is the more suitable signal generator of the EPO-driven SAG, human cord blood CD34(+) cells were transduced with the two EPO-driven SAGs (EPORMpl and EPORGCR). Finally, we examined the in vivo efficacy of EPORMpl in mice. Irradiated mice were transplanted with EPORMpl-transduced bone marrow cells followed by administration of EPO. RESULTS: The EPO-driven SAGs were shown to induce more rapid and potent proliferation of Ba/F3 cells than the steroid-driven SAGs. The EPORMpl induced more efficient EPO-dependent proliferation of the human cord blood CD34(+) cells than the EPORGCR in terms of total CD34(+) cell, c-Kit(+) cell, and clonogenic progenitor cell (CFU-C) numbers. In the transplanted mice the transduced peripheral blood cells significantly increased in response to EPO. CONCLUSIONS: The new-generation SAGs, especially EPORMpl, are able to efficiently confer an EPO-dependent growth advantage on transduced hematopoietic cells in vitro and in vivo in mice.

Animals↗

Selective intraarterial gene delivery into a canine meningioma.

OBJECT: The goal of this study was to evaluate gene delivery to a benign brain tumor. METHODS: A recombinant adenovirus vector bearing the Escherichia coli beta-galactosidase reporter gene was selectively injected into the vascular supply of a spontaneously occurring canine olfactory groove meningioma. The tumor and a small amount of peritumoral brain tissue were removed 5 days after viral injection and stained with X-Gal to assess gene delivery. The authors noted significant beta-galactosidase gene expression by the tumor, but not by surrounding brain tissue. No obvious viral-related cytotoxicity was noted. CONCLUSIONS: The authors found that meningiomas can be successfully transduced by adenovirus vectors by using endovascular techniques.

Adenoviridae↗

Using variable rate models to identify genes under selection in sequence pairs: their validity and limitations for EST sequences.

Using likelihood-based variable selection models, we determined if positive selection was acting on 523 EST sequence pairs from two lineages of sunflower and lettuce. Variable rate models are generally not used for comparisons of sequence pairs due to the limited information and the inaccuracy of estimates of specific substitution rates. However, previous studies have shown that the likelihood ratio test (LRT) is reliable for detecting positive selection, even with low numbers of sequences. These analyses identified 56 genes that show a signature of selection, of which 75% were not identified by simpler models that average selection across codons. Subsequent mapping studies in sunflower show four of five of the positively selected genes identified by these methods mapped to domestication QTLs. We discuss the validity and limitations of using variable rate models for comparisons of sequence pairs, as well as the limitations of using ESTs for identification of positively selected genes.

Base Pairing↗

Determination of genes related to gastrointestinal tract origin cancer cells using a cDNA microarray.

PURPOSE: We evaluated the genome-wide gene expression profiles of various cancer cell lines to identify the gastrointestinal tract cancer cell-related genes. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Gene expression profilings of 27 cancer cell lines and 9 tissues using 7.5K human cDNA microarrays in indirect design with Yonsei reference RNA composed of 11 cancer cell line RNAs were done. The significant genes were selected using significant analysis of microarray in various sets of data. The selected genes were validated using real-time PCR analysis. RESULTS: After intensity-dependent, within-print-tip normalization by loess method, we observed that expression patterns of cell lines and tissues were substantially different, divided in two discrete clusters. Next, we selected 115 genes that discriminate gastrointestinal cancer cell lines from others using significant analysis of microarray. Among the expression profiles of five gastric cancer cell lines, 66 genes were identified as differentially expressed genes related to metastatic phenotype. YCC-16, which was established from the peripheral blood of one advanced gastric cancer patient, produced a unique gene expression pattern resembling the profiles of lymphoid cell lines. Quantitative real-time reverse transcription-PCR results of selected genes, including PXN, KRT8, and ITGB5, were correlated to microarray data and successfully discriminate the gastrointestinal tract cancer cell lines from hematologic malignant cell lines. CONCLUSIONS: A gene expression database could serve as a useful source for the further investigation of cancer biology using the cell lines.

Cell Line, Tumor↗

Inducible excision of selectable marker gene from transgenic plants by the cre/lox site-specific recombination system.

In a plant transformation process, it is necessary to use marker genes that allow the selection of regenerated transgenic plants. However, selectable marker genes are generally superfluous once an intact transgenic plant has been established. Furthermore, they may cause regulatory difficulties for approving transgenic crop release and commercialization. We constructed a binary expression vector with the Cre/lox system with a view to eliminating a marker gene from transgenic plants conveniently. In the vector, recombinase gene cre under the control of heat shock promoter and selectable marker gene nptII under the control of CaMV35S promoter were placed between two lox P sites in direct orientation, while the gene of interest was inserted outside of the lox P sites. By using this vector, both cre and nptII genes were eliminated from most of the regenerated plants of primary transformed tobacco through heat shock treatment, while the gene of interest was retained and stably inherited. This auto-excision strategy, mediated by the Cre/lox system and subjected to heat shock treatment to eliminate a selectable marker gene, is easy to adopt and provides a promising approach to generate marker-free transgenic plants.

Base Sequence↗

Evolution in bacterial plasmids and levels of selection.

Gene flow between different reproductive units such as bacterial plasmids and chromosomes presents unusual problems for evolutionary analysis. Far more than in eukaryotes, reproductive advantages at several levels of selection--genes, transposons, plasmids, cells, and clones--must be considered simultaneously to understand plasmid evolution. No level consistently prevails in conflict situations, and some reproductive units carry genes that restrain their own reproduction or survival, apparently to enhance the reproduction or survival of the higher-level reproductive units that carry them. Despite gene flow between plasmids and chromosomes, genes for certain functions show strong tendencies to occur on plasmids while others consistently occur on chromosomes. Functions generally associated with plasmids are diverse, but all are useful only in locally restricted contexts; it is argued that the selective consequences of the greater horizontal (within generation) transmission of plasmids are responsible for this pattern. The tendency for prokaryote transposons, which are also horizontally mobile, to carry genes similar to those commonly on plasmids supports this argument. The apparent trends in eukaryote plasmids and transposons to lack these same characters also accords with predictions of the local adaptation hypothesis, because genes on these genetic units are generally no more horizontally mobile than chromosomal genes. There are theoretical reasons to expect that plasmid genes tend to evolve more rapidly than chromosomal genes. "The selfish interests of genes have manifestly produced 'vehicles' in the forms of organelles, cells, individuals and yet higher units. If evolution is to predict as well as describe, then selfish interests must be understood in the framework of the constraints and opportunities generated by these 'vehicles'" (Buss, 1987, p. 182).

Bacteria↗

Excision of selectable marker genes from transgenic plants.

Selectable marker genes are required to ensure the efficient genetic modification of crops. Economic incentives and safety concerns have prompted the development of several strategies (site-specific recombination, homologous recombination, transposition, and co-transformation) to eliminate these genes from the genome after they have fulfilled their purpose. Recently, chemically inducible site-specific recombinase systems have emerged as valuable tools for efficiently regulating the excision of transgenes when their expression is no longer required. The implementation of these strategies in crops and their further improvement will help to expedite widespread public acceptance of agricultural biotechnology

DNA Nucleotidyltransferases↗

Negative selection systems for transgenic barley (Hordeum vulgare L.): comparison of bacterial codA- and cytochrome P450 gene-mediated selection.

Efficient negative selection systems are increasingly needed for numerous applications in plant biology. In recent years various counter-selectable genes have been tested in six dicotyledonous species, whereas there are no data available for the use of negative selection markers in monocotyledonous species. In this study, we compared the applicability and reliability of two different conditional negative selection systems in transgenic barley. The bacterial codA gene encoding cytosine deaminase, which converts the non-toxic 5-fluorocytosine (5-FC) into the toxic 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), was used for in vitro selection of germinating seedlings. Development of codA-expressing seedlings was strongly inhibited by germinating the seeds in the presence of 5-FC. For selecting plants in the greenhouse, a bacterial cytochrome P450 mono-oxygenase gene, the product of which catalyses the dealkylation of a sulfonylurea compound, R7402, into its cytotoxic metabolite, was used. T1 plants expressing the selectable marker gene showed striking morphological differences from the non-transgenic plants. In experiments with both negative selectable markers, the presence or absence of the transgene, as predicted from the physiological appearance of the plants under selection, was confirmed by PCR analysis. We demonstrate that both marker genes provide tight negative selection; however, the use of the P450 gene is more amenable to large-scale screening under greenhouse or field conditions.

Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System↗

Sp1 and Sp3 regulate basal transcription of the human CYP2F1 gene.

Selective transcription of the human CYP2F1 gene in lung tissues may control the susceptibilities of this organ to diverse pneumotoxicants and lung carcinogens. However, the mechanisms responsible for CYP2F1 organ-selective transcription have not been elucidated. The objectives of the current studies were to identify and characterize basal transcription elements within the TATA-less promoter region of CYP2F1. Four putative Sp1-like sites were identified in the CYP2F1 promoter. Competitive electrophoretic mobility shift assay analysis with mutated oligonucleotide probes and lung A549 cell nuclear extract, along with supershift studies using antibodies to either Sp1 or Sp3 proteins, demonstrated that all four sites formed three specific protein-DNA complexes. Mutations in any of the four core Sp1-like motifs abolished protein-DNA binding. Western blot analysis of both human tissues and cells showed that Sp1 was considerably higher in lung than liver and that Sp3 was much higher in liver than lung. Promoter activation of a luciferase reporter construct was sequentially increased by addition of each of the four Sp1-like motifs in lung A549 cells but not in liver HepG2 cells. Cotransfection of a Sp1 expression vector with the reporter construct dramatically increased luciferase activity in either A549 cells or Sp1-deficient Drosophila Schneider line 2 (SL-2) cells. However, similar cotransfections with an Sp3 expression vector failed to increase activity. Cotransfection of both the Sp1 and Sp3 expression vectors considerably decreased Sp1-mediated activity in A549 cells and abolished activity in SL-2 cells. Thus, these studies demonstrated that four Sp1-dependent proximal promoter elements drive organ-selective CYP2F1 gene transcription, and that Sp1 and Sp3 factors interact to modulate constitutive CYP2F1 transcription in lung cells.

Base Sequence↗

The herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene as a conditional negative-selection marker gene in Arabidopsis thaliana.

The human herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase type 1 gene (HSVtk) acts as a conditional lethal marker in mammalian cells. The HSVtk-encoded enzyme is able to phosphorylate certain nucleoside analogs (e.g. ganciclovir, an antiherpetic drug), thus converting them to toxic DNA replication inhibitors. The utility of HSVtk as a conditional negative-selection marker was explored in Arabidopsis thaliana (L.) Heynh. HSVtk was introduced into Arabidopsis by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. Transgenic plants were morphologically indistinguishable from wild type and exhibited normal fertility. Ganciclovir at 10(-5) to 10(-4) M drastically reduced shoot regeneration on transgenic, HSVtk+ root explants or callus formation on HSVtk+ leaf explants but did not affect the wild-type cultures. There was a 35-fold reduction in shoot regeneration 8 d after transfer to shoot-induction medium. Negative selection against HSVtk activity along with kanamycin selection was also efficient in Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer experiments. Shoot regeneration was 25 times lower on double-selective (ganciclovir plus kanamycin) plates than in the kanamycin control. This regeneration rate in double-selective plates is in the range of the frequency of shoots normally escaping kanamycin selection in Arabidopsis cultures.

Arabidopsis↗

[Using of selective marker gene in transgenic plants and its removal].

Selective marker gene is usually used to select transformed cells or tissue during gene transfer. However,the use of selective marker gene,especially antibiotic-resistant gene, is harmful to environment, plant development and affects multi-transformation. A new strategy that offers a approach for the elimination of those disadvantages caused by the selectable marker gene is developed. We summarized correlative marker genes used in transgenic plants and some methods of its removal.

English Abstract↗

Selective amplification of genes on the R plasmid, NR1, in Proteus mirabilis: an example of the induction of selective gene amplification.

The drug-resistance plasmid, NR1, is a 37-micron circular DNA molecule that contains two components: the resistance transfer factor (29 micron) carrying the transfer genes and the genes for tetracycline resistance, and the r-determinant (8 micron) carrying the genes for resistance to several other antibiotics including chloramphenicol (Cm). In Proteus mirabilis, these two components are capable of independent replication, or they may replicate as a composite molecule. When cells of P. mirabilis containing NR1 are cultured in medium containing Cm at 250 microgram/ml a growth lag of 20-35 hr ensues. During this lag, Cm induces the selective amplification of the r-determinant, including the gene for resistance to Cm. The amplification results from the excision of the r-determinant from the R plasmid, the independent replication of the r-determinant to give polymeric as well as monomeric r-determinants, and the eventual reintegration of multiple tandem copies of the r-determinant with the resistance transfer factor to form a new R plasmid with multiple copies of the r-determinant. This mechanism represents a new level of control of gene expression in bacterial systems--namely, the induction of selective gene amplification.

Cell Division↗

Enhancement of gene expression under hypoxic conditions using fragments of the human vascular endothelial growth factor and the erythropoietin genes.

PURPOSE: Selective gene expression in response to tumor hypoxia may provide new avenues, not only for radiotherapy and chemotherapy, but also for gene therapy. In this study, we have assessed the extent of hypoxia responsiveness of various DNA constructs by the luciferase assay to help design vectors suitable for cancer therapy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Reporter plasmids were constructed with fragments of the human vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and the erythropoietin (Epo) genes encompassing the putative hypoxia-responsive elements (HRE) and the pGL3 promoter vector. Test plasmids and the control pRL-CMV plasmid were cotransfected into tumor cells by the calcium phosphate method. After 6 h hypoxic treatment, the reporter assay was performed. RESULTS: The construct pGL3/VEGF containing the 385 bp fragment of the 5' flanking region in human VEGF gene showed significant increases in luciferase activity in response to hypoxia. The hypoxic/aerobic ratios were about 3-4, and 8-12 for murine and human tumor cells, respectively. Despite the very high degree of conservation among the HREs of mammalian VEGF genes, murine cells showed lower responsiveness than human cells. We next tested the construct pGL3/Epo containing the 150 bp fragment of the 3' flanking region in the Epo gene. Luciferase activity of pGL3/Epo was increased with hypoxia only in human cell lines. The insertion of 5 copies of the 35-bp fragments derived from the VEGF HREs and 32 bp of the E1b minimal promoter resulted in maximal enhancement of hypoxia responsiveness. CONCLUSIONS: The constructs with VEGF or Epo fragments containing HRE may be useful for inducing specific gene expression in hypoxic cells. Especially, the application of multiple copies of the HREs and an E1b minimal promoter appears to have the advantage of great improvement in hypoxia responsiveness.

Animals↗

Tissue-specific growth suppression and chemosensitivity promotion in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells by retroviral-mediated transfer of the wild-type p53 gene.

Selective expression of cytotoxic gene products in tumor cells is one of the goals of gene therapy for treating cancer. We are developing such a strategy for the treatment of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by linking the wild-type p53 (WT-p53) gene with HCC-associated transcriptional control elements (TCE) to achieve selective growth inhibition of retrovirally transduced HCC cells. Replication-defective, amphotrophic retroviruses were constructed containing a WT-p53 complementary DNA (cDNA) that is transcriptionally regulated by the HCC-associated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) gene TCE. Expression of exogenous WT-p53 from this retroviral vector was limited to AFP-producing cells. Introduction of WT-p53 into AFP-positive HCC cells by retroviral infection markedly inhibited their clonal growth in monolayer and soft agar cultures, and increased the sensitivity of these cells to the chemotherapeutic drug, cisplatin. Therefore, restoration of WT-p53 expression in HCC cells, in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs, can be considered as a strategy for the therapy of human liver cancer.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

HykGene: a hybrid approach for selecting marker genes for phenotype classification using microarray gene expression data.

MOTIVATION: Recent studies have shown that microarray gene expression data are useful for phenotype classification of many diseases. A major problem in this classification is that the number of features (genes) greatly exceeds the number of instances (tissue samples). It has been shown that selecting a small set of informative genes can lead to improved classification accuracy. Many approaches have been proposed for this gene selection problem. Most of the previous gene ranking methods typically select 50-200 top-ranked genes and these genes are often highly correlated. Our goal is to select a small set of non-redundant marker genes that are most relevant for the classification task. RESULTS: To achieve this goal, we developed a novel hybrid approach that combines gene ranking and clustering analysis. In this approach, we first applied feature filtering algorithms to select a set of top-ranked genes, and then applied hierarchical clustering on these genes to generate a dendrogram. Finally, the dendrogram was analyzed by a sweep-line algorithm and marker genes are selected by collapsing dense clusters. Empirical study using three public datasets shows that our approach is capable of selecting relatively few marker genes while offering the same or better leave-one-out cross-validation accuracy compared with approaches that use top-ranked genes directly for classification. AVAILABILITY: The HykGene software is freely available at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wyh/software.htm CONTACT: wyh@cs.dartmouth.edu SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary material is available from http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wyh/hykgene/supplement/index.htm.

Algorithms↗

Glucocorticoid regulation of the mouse metallothionein I gene is selectively lost following amplification of the gene.

The mouse metallothionein I (MT-I) gene is regulated by both heavy metals and glucocorticoid hormones. We selected cadmium-resistant variants of the mouse sarcoma cell line, S180, in which the metallothionein I gene has been amplified 10-fold and found that the amplified genes are regulated by cadmium in a manner identical with that observed for the original MT-I gene in unselected S180 cells. However, the amplified metallothionein I genes appear to be essentially nonresponsive to glucocorticoids even though at least 18 kilobases of DNA flanking the 5' side of the metallothionein I gene are amplified in these cells. The same result has been observed in nine clonal lines derived from the cadmium-resistant (CdR) population. The implications of this result both for models of steroid hormone action and for gene evolution are discussed.

Animals↗

A novel screening system for construction and selection of active ribozymes using DHFR (dihydrofolate reductase) gene as selection marker.

Ribozyme is thought to be a powerful tool for suppression of specific gene expression, but there are many failure cases in their applications in vivo. One reason may be that there are many cellular proteins in vivo which may inhibit the catalytic activity of ribozymes. Such being the case, many researchers have made efforts to increase the activity of ribozymes. Here we have developed a new screening system for active ribozymes using DHFR (dihydrofolate reductase) gene as a selection marker. In our system, we set the ribozyme target site not to the DHFR gene itself but to the interspace between two ATG codons. One of which is the original initiation codon, ATG, for DHFR gene itself, and the second one locates upstream of the former. The upstream ATG has an ability to cause frame shift for DHFR gene. Since the upstream ATG is preferentially used during translation, unless it is removed, production of DHFR is negligible. By setting the ribozyme target site between the two ATGs, we can make this screening system as positive selection. To our best knowledge, this is the first successful screening system in vivo.

Base Sequence↗

Restoration of transgene expression in hematopoietic cells with drug-selectable marker genes.

Somatic gene therapy is supposed to cure life-threatening hematopoietic disorders but is limited by unstable transgene expression. Efficient gene transfer to hematopoietic progenitor cells does not ensure long-term gene expression. It would therefore be advantageous if the expression of transgenes could be restored in bone marrow. Transfer of drug resistance genes such as the multidrug resistance (MDR1) or mutated dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) genes to hematopoietic cells protects them from the toxicity of anticancer drugs. In addition, transduced cells obtain a selective growth advantage in the presence of anticancer drugs. This can be used to introduce and enrich otherwise non-selectable genes by cotransfer to target cells. Bicistronic vectors have been constructed for coexpression of drug resistance genes and non-selectable, therapeutic genes with the use of an internal ribosomal entry-site (IRES). With the use of bicistronic vectors, expression and function of therapeutic genes have been increased in tissue culture and in animal models. Further preclinical investigations are needed to identify optimal conditions for selection.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗