Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America logoLink to Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
. 1981 Aug;78(8):5016–5020. doi: 10.1073/pnas.78.8.5016

The human beta-globin gene and a functional viral thymidine kinase gene in developing mice.

E F Wagner, T A Stewart, B Mintz
PMCID: PMC320323  PMID: 6272287

Abstract

Two foreign cloned genes--one encoding a tissue-specific protein and one encoding a constitutive enzyme--were introduced into mouse eggs by microinjection into a pronucleus shortly after fertilization. They were the adult human genomic beta-globin gene and the thymidine kinase (TK; ATP:thymidine 5'-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.21) gene of herpes simplex virus (HSV), ligated in the pBR322 plasmid. Thirty-three developing mice were autopsied in late fetal life; all appeared normal. Blot hybridization tests revealed that the DNA of as many as five (15%) of the fetuses (from separate litters), and of their corresponding placentas, contained copies of the human beta-globin gene and of the HSV tk gene that had been retained and replicated without significant loss or rearrangement. The estimated total numbers of copies per cell were 3-50 for the donor globin gene and 3-20 for the donor tk. In some of the fetuses, these totals included some copies of molecular weight higher than that of the intact sequence; the additional segments may have arisen through changes such as deletions or duplications. The foreign genes in the five positive fetuses appear to be present in high molecular weight DNA. Assays capable of distinguishing between foreign and native TK indicated that at least one of the fetuses with the HSV tk gene had some TK enzyme of the HSV type and, therefore, at least one gene copy that was being accurately transcribed and translated to produce a functional protein, despite the absence of selective pressure. Thus, pure recombinant genes introduced into mice at the onset of their development can remain intact and be stably incorporated and even expressed. These experiments provide a practical basis for novel investigations of the developmental control of normal gene expression in vivo of the causes and possible cures of genetic diseases.

Full text

PDF
5016

Images in this article

5017Image
on p.5017
5018Image
on p.5018
5018Image
on p.5018
5018Image
on p.5018

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Anderson W. F., Killos L., Sanders-Haigh L., Kretschmer P. J., Diacumakos E. G. Replication and expression of thymidine kinase and human globin genes microinjected into mouse fibroblasts. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Sep;77(9):5399–5403. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.9.5399. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Blin N., Stafford D. W. A general method for isolation of high molecular weight DNA from eukaryotes. Nucleic Acids Res. 1976 Sep;3(9):2303–2308. doi: 10.1093/nar/3.9.2303. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Capecchi M. R. High efficiency transformation by direct microinjection of DNA into cultured mammalian cells. Cell. 1980 Nov;22(2 Pt 2):479–488. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(80)90358-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cline M. J., Stang H., Mercola K., Morse L., Ruprecht R., Brown J., Salser W. Gene transfer in intact animals. Nature. 1980 Apr 3;284(5755):422–425. doi: 10.1038/284422a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Colbere-Garapin F., Chousterman S., Horodniceanu F., Kourilsky P., Garapin A. C. Cloning of the active thymidine kinase gene of herpes simplex virus type 1 in Escherichia coli K-12. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Aug;76(8):3755–3759. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.8.3755. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Fleischman R. A., Mintz B. Prevention of genetic anemias in mice by microinjection of normal hematopoietic stem cells into the fetal placenta. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Nov;76(11):5736–5740. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.11.5736. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fritsch E. F., Lawn R. M., Maniatis T. Molecular cloning and characterization of the human beta-like globin gene cluster. Cell. 1980 Apr;19(4):959–972. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(80)90087-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Gordon J. W., Scangos G. A., Plotkin D. J., Barbosa J. A., Ruddle F. H. Genetic transformation of mouse embryos by microinjection of purified DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Dec;77(12):7380–7384. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.12.7380. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hoppe P. C., Pitts S. Fertilization in vitro and development of mouse ova. Biol Reprod. 1973 May;8(4):420–426. doi: 10.1093/biolreprod/8.4.420. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Huttner K. M., Scangos G. A., Ruddle F. H. DNA-mediated gene transfer of a circular plasmid into murine cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Nov;76(11):5820–5824. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.11.5820. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Jaenisch R. Germ line integration and Mendelian transmission of the exogenous Moloney leukemia virus. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1976 Apr;73(4):1260–1264. doi: 10.1073/pnas.73.4.1260. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Jaenisch R., Mintz B. Simian virus 40 DNA sequences in DNA of healthy adult mice derived from preimplantation blastocysts injected with viral DNA. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1974 Apr;71(4):1250–1254. doi: 10.1073/pnas.71.4.1250. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Kafatos F. C., Jones C. W., Efstratiadis A. Determination of nucleic acid sequence homologies and relative concentrations by a dot hybridization procedure. Nucleic Acids Res. 1979 Nov 24;7(6):1541–1552. doi: 10.1093/nar/7.6.1541. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lin T. P. Microinjection of mouse eggs. Science. 1966 Jan 21;151(3708):333–337. doi: 10.1126/science.151.3708.333. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Maniatis T., Jeffrey A., Kleid D. G. Nucleotide sequence of the rightward operator of phage lambda. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 Mar;72(3):1184–1188. doi: 10.1073/pnas.72.3.1184. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Mantei N., Boll W., Weissmann C. Rabbit beta-globin mRNA production in mouse L cells transformed with cloned rabbit beta-globin chromosomal DNA. Nature. 1979 Sep 6;281(5726):40–46. doi: 10.1038/281040a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Mercola K. E., Stang H. D., Browne J., Salser W., Cline M. J. Insertion of a new gene of viral origin into bone marrow cells of mice. Science. 1980 May 30;208(4447):1033–1035. doi: 10.1126/science.6246577. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Mintz B. Clonal basis of mammalian differentiation. Symp Soc Exp Biol. 1971;25:345–370. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Mintz B., Cronmiller C. METT-1: a karyotypically normal in vitro line of developmentally totipotent mouse teratocarcinoma cells. Somatic Cell Genet. 1981 Jul;7(4):489–505. doi: 10.1007/BF01542992. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Mintz B. Gene expression in neoplasia and differentiation. Harvey Lect. 1978;71:193–246. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Mintz B., Illmensee K. Normal genetically mosaic mice produced from malignant teratocarcinoma cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1975 Sep;72(9):3585–3589. doi: 10.1073/pnas.72.9.3585. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Pellicer A., Wagner E. F., el-Kareh A., Dewey M. J., Reuser A. J., Silverstein S., Axel R., Mintz B. Introduction of a viral thymidine kinase gene and the human beta-globin gene into developmentally multipotential mouse teratocarcinoma cells. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Apr;77(4):2098–2102. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.4.2098. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Perucho M., Hanahan D., Wigler M. Genetic and physical linkage of exogenous sequences in transformed cells. Cell. 1980 Nov;22(1 Pt 1):309–317. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(80)90178-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Polsky F., Edgell M. H., Seidman J. G., Leder P. High capacity gel preparative electrophoresis for purification of fragments of genomic DNA. Anal Biochem. 1978 Jul 1;87(2):397–410. doi: 10.1016/0003-2697(78)90689-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Rigby P. W., Dieckmann M., Rhodes C., Berg P. Labeling deoxyribonucleic acid to high specific activity in vitro by nick translation with DNA polymerase I. J Mol Biol. 1977 Jun 15;113(1):237–251. doi: 10.1016/0022-2836(77)90052-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Robins D. M., Ripley S., Henderson A. S., Axel R. Transforming DNA integrates into the host chromosome. Cell. 1981 Jan;23(1):29–39. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(81)90267-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Southern E. M. Detection of specific sequences among DNA fragments separated by gel electrophoresis. J Mol Biol. 1975 Nov 5;98(3):503–517. doi: 10.1016/s0022-2836(75)80083-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Summers W. C., Summers W. P. [125I]deoxycytidine used in a rapid, sensitive, and specific assay for herpes simplex virus type 1 thymidine kinase. J Virol. 1977 Oct;24(1):314–318. doi: 10.1128/jvi.24.1.314-318.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Thomas P. S. Hybridization of denatured RNA and small DNA fragments transferred to nitrocellulose. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Sep;77(9):5201–5205. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.9.5201. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Wahl G. M., Stern M., Stark G. R. Efficient transfer of large DNA fragments from agarose gels to diazobenzyloxymethyl-paper and rapid hybridization by using dextran sulfate. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Aug;76(8):3683–3687. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.8.3683. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Whitney J. B., 3rd, Russell E. S. Linkage of genes for adult alpha-globin and embryonic alpha-like globin chains. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1980 Feb;77(2):1087–1090. doi: 10.1073/pnas.77.2.1087. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Wigler M., Silverstein S., Lee L. S., Pellicer A., Cheng Y. c., Axel R. Transfer of purified herpes virus thymidine kinase gene to cultured mouse cells. Cell. 1977 May;11(1):223–232. doi: 10.1016/0092-8674(77)90333-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Wold B., Wigler M., Lacy E., Maniatis T., Silverstein S., Axel R. Introduction and expression of a rabbit beta-globin gene in mouse fibroblasts. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1979 Nov;76(11):5684–5688. doi: 10.1073/pnas.76.11.5684. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America are provided here courtesy of National Academy of Sciences

RESOURCES