Xiao D, Yue Y, Deng XY, Huang B, Guo ZM, Ma Y, Lin YL, Hong X, Tang H, Xu K, Chen XG. Rescue of the albino phenotype by introducing a functional tyrosinase minigene into Kunming albino mice. World J Gastroenterol 2007; 13(2): 244-249 [PMID: 17226903 DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i2.244]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Xi-Gu Chen, Professor, Center of Experimental Animals, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, China. xiguchen@163.com
Article-Type of This Article
Basic Research
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Dong Xiao, Ying Yue, Xin-Yan Deng, Bing Huang, Zhong-Min Guo, Yun Ma, Yi-Li Lin, Xun Hong, Kang Xu, Xi-Gu Chen, Center of Experimental Animals, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, China
Dong Xiao, Institute of Comparative Medicine and Center of Experimental Animals, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, Guangdong Province, China
Huan Tang, Department of Animal Science, College of Basic Medicine, the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 30271177 and No. 39870676; National 9th Five-year Program, No. 101033; Major Science and Technology Projects of Guangdong Province, No. B602; Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, No. 021903; Postdoctoral Fellowship Foundation of China (Series 29); Special Fund of Scientific Instrument Collaborative Share-net in Guangzhou. No. 2006176
Correspondence to: Xi-Gu Chen, Professor, Center of Experimental Animals, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510080, Guangdong Province, China. xiguchen@163.com
Telephone: +86-20-33151566 Fax: +86-20-87331230
Received: September 20, 2006 Revised: October 15, 2006 Accepted: November 24, 2006 Published online: January 14, 2007
Abstract
AIM: To use the tyrosinase minigene as a visual marker to perform microinjection training and improve the techniques related with transgene to greatly elevate the efficiency of gene transfer.
METHODS: A mouse tyrosinase minigene, i.e., TyBS, in which the 2.25-kb authentic genomic 5’ non-coding flanking sequence of mouse tyrosinase was fused to a mouse tyrosinase cDNA, was introduced into the fertilized eggs of outbred Kunming albino mice.
RESULTS: Of the 11 animals that developed from the injected eggs, two mice (P1 and #8) exhibited pigmented hair (P1) and eyes (P1 and #8), as confirmed by PCR analysis for the tyrosinase minigene integrated into the genome. When founder P1 was bred to Kunming male mouse, six progeny out of 11 offspring inherited the transgene and the pigmented-eye phenotype.
CONCLUSION: Taken together, these results suggest that this minigene encodes the active tyrosinase protein and that its 5’ flanking region contains the sequences regulating the expression of mouse tyrosinase gene as expected. We have rescued the albino phenotype by introduction and expression of a functional tyrosinase minigene in the Kunming albino mouse and the transgene can be passed to subsequent generation. These findings also indicate that TyBS can be a useful visual marker gene in the co-transgenic experiments.
