OBJECTIVETo evaluate the feasibility of generating animal mammary gland bioreactors expressing human lysozyme (hLYZ).

METHODSThe recombinant vector p205C3-hLYZ, as a result of connecting the hLYZ cDNA with the mammry gland expression vector p205C3, was used to generate transfer genic mice by microinjection.

RESULTSA total of 136 F0 mice were obtained, of which 7 (2 females and 5 males) and 4 (1 females and 3 males) were found to contain the transfer-gene by PCR and Southern blotting respectively. The results of Western blotting indicated that the expressed protein had the same molecular weight as that of normal hLYZ. From the F1 generation on, the mice mated only with their brothers or sisters and a colony of F7 transgenic mice was obtained. Among the offspring, the female transgenic mice maintained and expressed the transfer-gene stably with an expression level as high as 750 mg/L. The expressed protein had strong tissue specificity, and in addition to the mammary glands, some degree of ectropic expression in the spleens and intestines of the transgenic mice was confirmed by dot blotting assay.

CONCLUSIONThese data indicate that the mice mammary gland bioreactors expressing hLYZ have been successfully generated.