OBJECTIVE: We aimed to compare the characteristics between lentivirus and adenovirus vector mediated gene transfer into cultured spiral ganglion cells (SGCs). METHOD: SGCs from newborn rats were cultured and exposed to lentivirus-GFP and adenovirus-GFP vectors. GFP expression and the cell morphology were evaluated under epi-fluorescence microscope at 3 days and 7 days after exposure. Survival number of SGCs was counted, and the average percentage of SGCs with GFP expression was calculated, and axon length was measured by ImageJ software. RESULT: Cultured SGCs were transfected by either adenovirus or lentivirus vector successfully. The adenovirus vector presented an instant and efficient transfection. However, the expression of GFP went down after 7 days. In lentivirus-GFP group, GFP expression was detected at 7 days after exposure, and the number of cells with GFP expression increased gradually in the following days. Statistical analysis revealed that there were no differences in survival number of SGCs and average axon length among lentivirus-GFP group, adenovirus-GFP group and control group. CONCLUSION Cultured SGCs can be transfected by either lentivirus vector or adenovirus vector safely and efficiently. SGCs are more susceptible to adenovirus vector, but GFP persists for a longer period after the lentivirus-mediated gene transfer.
Adenoviridae ; genetics ; Animals ; Cell Culture Techniques ; Cells, Cultured ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; Genetic Vectors ; Lentivirus ; genetics ; Rats ; Spiral Ganglion ; cytology ; Transduction, Genetic ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the gene transfer and expression of enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) in retrovirally transducted variant HT-29c cells in vitro and in vivo.

METHODSThe retroviral vector prkat EGFP/neo was constructed and was transfected into the 293T cell using a standard calcium phosphate precipitation method. HT-29c cells (in vivo selected HT-29 cells) were transduced by a retroviral vector encoding the EGFP gene. The fluorescence intensity of colorectal carcinoma HT-29c cells after transfected with the EGFP gene bearing retrovirus was visualized using fluorescence microscope and fluorescence activated cell sorter analysis. Multiple biological behaviors of transduced cells such as the proliferating potential and the expression of various antigens were comparatively analyzed between untransfected and transfected in vitro. EGFP expression of the fresh tumor tissue was assessed in vivo.

RESULTSAfter being transduced, HT-29c cells with the EGFP gene displayed a stable and long-term EGFP expression under the nonselective conditions in vitro. After culturing cells successively to passage 50 in vitro, EGFP expression level was still high. Their biological behaviors, such as expression of tumor antigens, proliferation rate and aggregation capability were not different compared to untransfected parental cells in vitro. In subcutaneous tumors, EGFP was stable and highly expressed.

CONCLUSIONSAn EGFP expressing retroviral vector was used to transduce HT-29c cells. The transduced cells show a stable and long-term EGFP expression in vitro and in vivo. These cells are a valuable tool for in vivo analysis of metastatic spread.

Animals ; Colorectal Neoplasms ; genetics ; pathology ; Disease Models, Animal ; Gene Expression ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; Green Fluorescent Proteins ; HT29 Cells ; Humans ; Luminescent Proteins ; genetics ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Transplantation ; Rats ; Rats, Nude ; Transduction, Genetic ; Transfection

OBJECTIVESTo investigate the effect of ionizing radiation on liposome-mediated gene delivery and find out a way to improve gene transfection.

METHODSPrior to liposome transfection, HR-8348 cells were irradiated at doses of 0, 2, 4, 8 Gy selected according to the surviving fraction line of HR-8348 cells after different dosage of radiation. After 36 h of liposome transfection, green fluorocytes were counted. The transfection efficiency was figured out and compared with each other.

RESULTSThe transfection efficiency of liposome-mediated gene delivery was 21.32%, 62.17%, 68.00%, 77.78% at the dose of 0, 2, 4, 8 Gy respectively and the clinical dose (2 Gy) was as high as 62.17%. Combined radiation and liposome-mediated gene delivery achieved the approximate transfection efficiency of virus vector.

CONCLUSIONIonizing radiation can improve the transfection efficiency of liposome-mediated gene delivery markedly and it is expected to treat human malignancy with liposome-mediated gene delivery combined with radiation.

Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; Genetic Therapy ; Humans ; Liposomes ; Rectal Neoplasms ; therapy ; Transfection

In vitro gene delivery, polyethyleneimine (PEI) has been described as one of the most efficient nonviral vector. Herein the formation mechanism of PEI/DNA complexes is elucidated. The transition phase of "bead-on-string" structure in the formation of complexes was supposed to exist through spectroscopy, electrophoresis and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) technology. The construction of PEI/DNA complexes is related closely to the characteristics of PEI and DNA plasmid. As well as the dominant electrostatic effects, the nonelectrostatic interactions were thought to be partially responsible for the presence of PEI/DNA complexes even in the high ionic strength. The surface charge of complexes particles increased with the N/P ratio, but the absolute value of zeta potential was lower at the N/P ratio of 8 and 12, perhaps attributed to the use of larger DNA plasmid. As a result, the repulsion between particles was decreased and prone to aggregate to the structure like a clustered grape-string in the solution. Interestingly, contrast to the formation behavior of complexes, the PEI/DNA complexes aggregated primarily due to hydrophobic interactions while electrostatic attractions play a little role in the complexes particles aggregation in different concentrations of salt solutions. Comparable transfection efficiency in HepG2 cells was observed for the Lipofectamine 2000 and PEI/DNA complexes at the N/P ratio of 12, and showed that larger or aggregable complexes could transfect the cells in some different mechanisms.
DNA ; genetics ; Drug Carriers ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; Genetic Therapy ; Polyethyleneimine ; chemistry ; Transfection

To knock out β-lactoglobulin (BLG) gene and insert human lactoferrin (hLF) coding sequence at BLG locus of goat, the transcription activator-like effector nucleases (TALEN) mediated recombination was used to edit the BLG gene of goat fetal fibroblast, then as donor cells for somatic cell nuclear transfer. We designed a pair of specific plasmid TALEN-3-L/R for goat BLG exon III recognition sites, and BLC14-TK vector containing a negative selection gene HSV-TK, was used for the knock in of hLF gene. TALENs plasmids were transfected into the goat fetal fibroblast cells, and the cells were screened three days by 2 μg/mL puromycin. DNA cleavage activities of cells were verified by PCR amplification and DNA production sequencing. Then, targeting vector BLC14-TK and plasmids TALEN-3-L/R were co-transfected into goat fetal fibroblasts, both 700 μg/mL G418 and 2 μg/mL GCV were simultaneously used to screen G418-resistant cells. Detections of integration and recombination were implemented to obtain cells with hLF gene site-specific integration. We chose targeting cells as donor cells for somatic cell nuclear transfer. The mutagenicity of TALEN-3-L/R was between 25% and 30%. A total of 335 reconstructed embryos with 6 BLG-/hLF+ targeting cell lines were transferred into 16 recipient goats. There were 9 pregnancies confirmed by ultrasound on day 30 to 35 (pregnancy rate of 39.1%), and one of 50-day-old fetus with BLG-/hLF+ was achieved. These results provide the basis for hLF gene knock-in at BLG locus of goat and cultivating transgenic goat of low allergens and rich hLF in the milk.
Animals ; Animals, Genetically Modified ; genetics ; Female ; Fibroblasts ; Gene Knock-In Techniques ; Gene Knockout Techniques ; Goats ; genetics ; Humans ; Lactoferrin ; genetics ; Lactoglobulins ; genetics ; Milk ; chemistry ; Nuclear Transfer Techniques ; Plasmids ; Pregnancy ; Transfection

Recently there have been increasing interests in ultrasound-mediated gene delivery techniques. This paper reviews the general concept of sonoporation, the effect of contrast agents, and the in vitro and in vivo applications of such techniques. Factors which contribute to the efficiency of gene delivery were also discussed. The technology is promising and has great potential in targeted drug delivery and gene delivery applications.
DNA ; administration & dosage ; Drug Delivery Systems ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; instrumentation ; Genetic Therapy ; Humans ; Microbubbles ; Transfection ; methods ; Ultrasonic Therapy ; methods ; Ultrasonics

OBJECTIVETo investigate the constituent expression of PH domain leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase 1 (PHLPP1) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and the effect of PHLPP1 gene transfer on the proliferation of the cells in vitro.

METHODSCultured HUVECs were transfected with pcDNA3-GFP or pcDNA3HA-PHLPP1 via lipofectamine 2000. The cell proliferation ability was determined by cell counting and MTT colorimetric assay, and Western blotting was used to detect the protein expression of PHLPP1 in the cells.

RESULTSNo PHLPP1 protein was detected in the non-transfected cells or pcDNA3-GFP-transfected cells. pcDNA3HA-PHLPP1 gene transfection significantly increased PHLPP1 expression in the HUVECs (P<0.01), but the cell proliferation status remained unchanged (P>0.05). The absorbance of the cells measured by MTT assay was 0.134-/+0.0152, 0133-/+0.014 and 0.137-/+0.016, with cell counts of (8.293-/+0.962)x10(5), (7.937-/+0.101)x10(5) and (8.127-/+0.112)x10(5), respectively, showing no significant differences between the 3 groups (P>0.05).

CONCLUSIONSPhosphatase PHLPP1 may not be the most important signal protein in the regulation of HUVEC proliferation.

Cell Proliferation ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells ; cytology ; metabolism ; Humans ; Nuclear Proteins ; genetics ; Phosphoprotein Phosphatases ; genetics ; Transfection

OBJECTIVETo explore the feasibility of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) detection of heart reporter gene expression and observed the optimal transfecting titer and imaging time by using herpes simplex virus 1-thymidine kinase (HSV1-tk) as reporter gene and 131I-2'-fluoro-2'-deoxy-1-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-5-iodouracil (131I-FIAU) as reporter probe in rabbit myocardium.

METHODSThe recombinant Ad-tk carrying HSV1-tk gene and adenovirus (Ad) as vector was constructed and intramyocardially injected to rabbits at various concentrations (1 x 10(9) pfu, 5 x 10(8) pfu, 1 x 10(8) pfu, 5 x 10(7) pfu, 1 x 10(7) pfu). Two days later, rabbits were injected with 600 microCi 131I-FIAU in ear-margin vein and then underwent SPECT myocardium imaging for detection of HSV1-tk expression at 6 h, 24 h, 48 h and 72 h after injection, rabbits with 1 x 10(9) pfu Ad-tk injection were imaged at 96 h and 120 h. Rabbits were sacrificed after imaging and the total myocardial 131I-FIAU accumulation was quantified in percent of injected dose per gram myocardium (% ID/g). The myocardial Ad-tk expression was determined with RT-PCR.

RESULTSReporter gene was detected by SPECT imaging in the injection site while not detected in the control myocardium and site remote from injection. RT-PCR results also evidenced HSV1-tk express in the injection site. The SPECT target/nontarget ratio was correlated with ex vivo gamma-counting (r2 = 0.933, P<0.01) and expression of HSV1-tk (r2 = 0.877, P<0.01). Myocardial accumulation could be identified at viral titers as low as 1 x 10(7) pfu by SPECT imaging.

CONCLUSIONThe cardiac SPECT reporter gene imaging with HSV1-tk as reporter gene and 131I-FIAU as reporter probe is feasible.

Animals ; Female ; Gene Expression ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; Genes, Reporter ; Heart ; diagnostic imaging ; Male ; Myocardium ; metabolism ; Rabbits ; Thymidine Kinase ; genetics ; Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon ; Transfection ; Uracil ; analogs & derivatives

Gene therapy, as a therapeutic treatment for genetic or acquired diseases, is attracting much interest in the research community, leading to noteworthy developments over the past two decades. Although this field is still dominated by viral vectors, novel nonviral gene delivery systems based on nanoparticle technology have recently received an ever increasing attention in order to overcome the safety problems of viral vectors as well as the cytotoxicity of conventional nonviral vectors. This review presented the aspects of bionanotechnology involved in the gene delivery process and explored the recent developments and achievements of inorganic nanodelivery systems for gene transfection.
Gene Targeting ; methods ; trends ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; trends ; Genetic Therapy ; trends ; Genetic Vectors ; Humans ; Nanoparticles ; therapeutic use ; Nanotechnology ; methods ; Transfection ; methods

Molecular nuclear imaging techniques are currently being developed to map the topography and level of gene expression following gene therapy. To date, two radionuclide-based imaging strategies have been investigated--using reporter genes encoding either intracellular enzymes or cell-surface receptors. In this article, we discuss these two reporter gene imaging systems that have been developed to detect gene expression noninvasively.
Gene Expression Regulation ; Gene Transfer Techniques ; Genes, Reporter ; genetics ; Genes, Transgenic, Suicide ; genetics ; Genetic Therapy ; Genetic Vectors ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Molecular Biology ; Radionuclide Imaging ; Transfection