Bovine Fetal Fibroblast Cells Research Articles

Selection Signature and CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Gene Knockout Analyses Reveal ZC3H10 Involved in Cold Adaptation in Chinese Native Cattle.

Cold stress is an important factor affecting cattle health, production performance, and reproductive efficiency. Understanding of the potential mechanism underlying genetic adaptation to local environments, particularly extreme cold environment, is limited. Here, by using FLK and hapFLK methods, we found that the Zinc finger CCCH-type containing 10 (ZC3H10) gene underwent positive selection in the Menggu, Fuzhou, Anxi, and Shigatse humped cattle breeds that are distributed in the cold areas of China. Furthermore, ZC3H10 expression significantly increased in bovine fetal fibroblast (BFF) cells at 28 °C for 4 h. ZC3H10 knockout BFFs were generated using CRISPR/Cas9. Wild and ZC3H10-deleted BFFs were treated at two temperatures and were divided into four groups (WT, wild and cultured at 38 °C; KO, ZC3H10−/− and 38 °C; WT_LT, wild, and 28 °C for 4 h; and KO_LT, ZC3H10−/− and 28 °C for 4 h. A total of 466, 598, 519, and 650 differently expressed genes (two-fold or more than two-fold changes) were identified by determining transcriptomic difference (KO_LT vs. KO, WT_LT vs. WT, KO vs. WT, and KO_LT vs. WT_LT, respectively). Loss of ZC3H10 dysregulated pathways involved in thermogenesis and immunity, and ZC3H10 participated in immunity-related pathways induced by cold stress and regulated genes involved in glucose and lipid metabolism and lipid transport (PLTP and APOA1), thereby facilitating adaptability to cold stress. Our findings provide a foundation for further studies on the function of ZC3H10 in cold stress and development of bovine breeding strategies for combatting the influences of cold climate.

Function Identification of Bovine ACSF3 Gene and Its Association With Lipid Metabolism Traits in Beef Cattle.

Acyl-CoA synthetase family member 3 (ACSF3) carries out the first step of mitochondrial fatty acid synthesis II, which is the linkage of malonate and, to a lesser extent, methylmalonate onto CoA. Malonyl-coenzyme A (malonyl-CoA) is a central metabolite in mammalian fatty acid biochemistry that is generated and utilized in the cytoplasm. In this research, we verified the relationship between expression of the ACSF3 and the production of triglycerides (TGs) at the cellular level by silencing and over-expressing ACSF3. Subsequently, through Sanger sequencing, five polymorphisms were found in the functional domain of the bovine ACSF3, and the relationship between ACSF3 polymorphism and the economic traits and fatty acid composition of Chinese Simmental cattle was analyzed by a means of variance analysis and multiple comparison. The results illustrated that the expression of ACSF3 promoted triglyceride synthesis in bovine mammary epithelial cells and bovine fetal fibroblast cells. Further association analysis also indicated that individuals with the AG genotype (g.14211090 G > A) of ACSF3 were significantly associated with the fatty acid composition of intramuscular fat (higher content of linoleic acid, α-linolenic acid, and arachidonic acid), and that CTCAG haplotype individuals were significantly related to the fatty acid composition of intramuscular fat (higher linoleic acid content). Individuals with the AA genotypes of g.14211055 A > G and g.14211090 G > A were substantially associated with a larger eye muscle area in the Chinese Simmental cattle population. ACSF3 played a pivotal role in the regulation of cellular triacylglycerol and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid levels, and polymorphism could serve as a useful molecular marker for future marker-assisted selection in the breeding of intramuscular fat deposition traits in beef cattle.

Correction of a Disease Mutation using CRISPR/Cas9-assisted Genome Editing in Japanese Black Cattle

Isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase (IARS) syndrome is a recessive disease of Japanese Black cattle caused by a single nucleotide substitution. To repair the mutated IARS gene, we designed clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) to create a double-strand break near the mutation site. CRISPR/Cas9 and donor DNA that contained a synonymous codon for the correct amino acid and an Aequorea coerulescens Green Fluorescent Protein (AcGFP) cassette with a piggyBac transposase recognition site at both ends were introduced into bovine fetal fibroblast (BFF) cells isolated from a homozygous mutant calf. Recombinant cells were enriched on the basis of expression of AcGFP, and two cell lines that contained the repaired allele were subcloned. We generated somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos from the repaired cells and transferred 22 blastocysts to recipient cows. In total, five viable fetuses were retrieved at Days 34 and 36. PiggyBac transposase mRNA was introduced into BFF cells isolated from cloned foetuses and AcGFP-negative cells were used for second round of cloning. We transferred nine SCNT embryos to recipient cows and retrieved two fetuses at Day 34. Fetal genomic DNA analysis showed correct repair of the IARS mutation without any additional DNA footprint.

Single Cas9 nickase induced generation of NRAMP1 knockin cattle with reduced off-target effects

BackgroundThe CRISPR-Cas9 system is a widely utilized platform for transgenic animal production in various species, although its off-target effects should be addressed. Several applications of this tool have been proposed in model animals but remain insufficient for transgenic livestock production.ResultsHere, we report the first application of single Cas9 nickase (Cas9n) to induce gene insertion at a selected locus in cattle. We identify the main binding sites of a catalytically inactive Cas9 (dCas9) protein in bovine fetal fibroblast cells (BFFs) with chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing (ChIP-seq). Subsequently, we demonstrate that a single Cas9n-induced single-strand break can stimulate the insertion of the natural resistance-associated macrophage protein-1 (NRAMP1) gene with reduced, but still considerable, off-target effects. Through somatic cell nuclear transfer, we finally obtain transgenic cattle with increased resistance to tuberculosis.ConclusionsOur results contribute to the development of CRISPR-Cas9 system for agriculture applications.

194 EFFECT OF SMALL MOLECULE INHIBITORS ON Oct-4, Nanog, AND Sox-2 EXPRESSION IN BOVINE FETAL FIBROBLAST CELLS

Successful reprogramming of somatic cells towards pluripotency requires the epigenetic marks characteristic of the differentiated cell type first be erased in order to inactivate the somatic cell program and activate the embryonic program. However, the majority of cells that undergo reprogramming become trapped in a partially reprogrammed state that is characterised by the down-regulation of somatic cell marker genes, incomplete reactivation of pluripotency genes, maintenance of viral expression, and the inability to form chimeras. Several small molecules, which act on specific signaling pathways or chromatin modifications, have been shown to improve both the kinetics and efficiency of reprogramming. These chemical modifiers aid in overcoming the roadblocks encountered during the reprogramming process by inducing the necessary epigenetic modifications needed to silence the somatic cell genome and reactivate the embryonic stem cell genome. Chemical treatment of cells before reprogramming can remodel the epigenetic landscape to be more like that of embryonic stem cell by removing the repressive epigenetic marks and relaxing chromatin structure to allow the reprogramming factors easier access to target genes. In the present study, we assessed the effect of pretreatment with small molecules on the expression of Oct-4, Nanog, and Sox-2 in bovine fetal fibroblast cells. Chemical treatment consisted of 3 small molecules: PD0325901, a mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitor; CHIR99021, a glycogen synthase kinase-3 inhibitor; and NuP0178 (NuPotential, Baton Rouge, LA, USA), a G9a histone methyltransferase inhibitor. Cells were seeded at a density of 0.7 × 106 and expanded before being divided evenly into 2 groups. Control cells were cultured in complete culture medium (DMEM with 10% fetal bovine serum), whereas treatment cells were cultured in complete culture medium containing 0.5 mM PD0325901, 3 mM CHIR99021, and 1.8 mM NuP0178. Messenger RNA was isolated from cell cultures using Dynabeads® mRNA DIRECT™ Kit (Dynal Inc., Lake Success, NY, USA) on Day 7 and 14, and the resulting RNA products were transcribed into cDNA using Bio-Rad iScript™ cDNA Synthesis Kit (Bio-Rad, Hercules, CA, USA). Quantitative RT–PCR was performed to measure transcript levels of Oct-4, Nanog, Sox-2, and poly adenylate polymerase in treated and untreated cells at Days 7 and 14. Transcript levels were quantified by relative quantification using the ΔΔCt method and expressed as ratios of target genes (Oct-4, Nanog, Sox-2) to the reference gene (PAP) and normalized against a calibrator consisting of untreated bovine fetal fibroblast cells. No difference in expression levels between untreated and treated cells was detected at either Day 7 or 14. Currently, we are utilising chromatin immunoprecipitation to examine chromatin and DNA methylation patterns around the promoters of Oct-4, Nanog, and Sox-2 to further elucidate the effects of treatment with this combination of small molecule inhibitors.

Precise gene editing paves the way for derivation of Mannheimia haemolytica leukotoxin-resistant cattle

Signal peptides of membrane proteins are cleaved by signal peptidase once the nascent proteins reach the endoplasmic reticulum. Previously, we reported that, contrary to the paradigm, the signal peptide of ruminant CD18, the β subunit of β2 integrins, is not cleaved and hence remains intact on mature CD18 molecules expressed on the surface of ruminant leukocytes. Leukotoxin secreted by Mannheimia (Pasteurella) haemolytica binds to the intact signal peptide and causes cytolysis of ruminant leukocytes, resulting in acute inflammation and lung tissue damage. We also demonstrated that site-directed mutagenesis leading to substitution of cleavage-inhibiting glutamine (Q), at amino acid position 5 upstream of the signal peptide cleavage site, with cleavage-inducing glycine (G) results in the cleavage of the signal peptide and abrogation of leukotoxin-induced cytolysis of target cells. In this proof-of-principle study, we used precise gene editing to induce Q(‒5)G substitution in both alleles of CD18 in bovine fetal fibroblast cells. The gene-edited fibroblasts were used for somatic nuclear transfer and cloning to produce a bovine fetus homozygous for the Q(‒5)G substitution. The leukocyte population of this engineered ruminant expressed CD18 without the signal peptide. More importantly, these leukocytes were absolutely resistant to leukotoxin-induced cytolysis. This report demonstrates the feasibility of developing lines of cattle genetically resistant to M. haemolytica-caused pneumonia, which inflicts an economic loss of over $1 billion to the US cattle industry alone.

Generation of transgenic cattle expressing human β‐defensin 3 as an approach to reducing susceptibility to Mycobacterium bovis infection

Bovine tuberculosis results from infection with Mycobacterium bovis, a member of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis family. Worldwide, M. bovis infections result in economic losses in the livestock industry; cattle production is especially hard-hit by this disease. Generating M. bovis-resistant cattle may potentially mitigate the impact of this disease by reducing M. bovis infections. In this study, we used transgenic somatic cell nuclear transfer to generate cattle expressing the gene encoding human β-defensin 3 (HBD3), which confers resistance to mycobacteria in vitro. We first generated alveolar epithelial cells expressing HBD3 under the control of the bovine MUC1 promoter, and confirmed that these cells secreted HBD3 and possessed anti-mycobacterial capacity. We then generated and identified transgenic cattle by somatic cell nuclear transfer. The cleavage and blastocyst formation rates of genetically modified embryos provided evidence that monoclonal transgenic bovine fetal fibroblast cells have an integral reprogramming ability that is similar to that of normal cells. Five genetically modified cows were generated, and their anti-mycobacterial capacities were evaluated. Alveolar epithelial cells and macrophages from these cattle expressed higher levels of HBD3 protein compared with non-transgenic cells and possessed effective anti-mycobacterial capacity. These results suggest that the overall risk of M. bovis infection in transgenic cattle is efficiently reduced, and support the development of genetically modified animals as an effective tool to reduce M. bovis infection.

Production of transgenic cattle highly expressing human serum albumin in milk by phiC31 integrase-mediated gene delivery

Transgenic cattle expressing high levels of recombinant human serum albumin (HSA) in their milk may as an alternative source for commercial production. Our objective was to produce transgenic cattle highly expressing HSA in milk by using phiC31 integrase system and somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). The mammary-specific expression plasmid pIACH(-), containing the attB recognition site for phiC31 integrase, were co-transfected with integrase expression plasmid pCMVInt into bovine fetal fibroblast cells (BFFs). PhiC31 integrase-mediated integrations in genome of BFFs were screened by nested inverse PCR. After analysis of sequence of the PCR products, 46.0% (23/50) of the both attB-genome junction sites (attL and attR) were confirmed, and four pseudo attP sites were identified. The integration rates in BF3, BF11, BF19 and BF4 sites were 4.0% (2/50), 6.0% (3/50), 16.0% (8/50) and 20.0% (10/50), respectively. BF3 is located in the bovine chromosome 3 collagen alpha-3 (VI) chain isomer 2 gene, while the other three sites are located in the non-coding region. The transgenic cell lines from BF11, BF19 and BF4 sites were used as donors for SCNT. Two calves from transgenic cells BF19 were born, one died within a few hours after birth, and another calf survived healthy. PCR and Southern blot analysis revealed integration of the transgene in the genome of cloned calves. The nested reverse PCR confirmed that the integration site in cloned calves was identical to the donor cells. The western blotting assessment indicated that recombinant HSA was expressed in the milk of transgenic cattle and the expression level was about 4-8 mg/mL. The present study demonstrated that phiC31 integrase system was an efficient and safety gene delivery tool for producing HSA transgenic cattle. The production of recombinant HSA in the milk of cattle may provide a large-scale and cost-effective resource.

Targeting exogenous GDNF gene to the bovine somatic cell beta-casein locus for the production of transgenic bovine animals.

Considerable attention is currently being directed toward methods for producing recombinant human proteins in the mammary glands of genetically modified transgenic livestock. However, the expression of inserted genes in transgenic animals is variable and often very low because of the randomness of the site of transgene integration. One possible strategy to avoid the expression problem associated with random integration is to use site-specific integration by targeting integration to a high expression locus and, thereby, to improve expression of the transferred gene. In the present study, we focused on glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), a novel type of neurotrophic factor first cloned in 1993. Research has shown that GDNF may have potential applications in the treatment of Parkinson's disease and other diseases of the central nervous system since it acts as a protective factor for central dopaminergic neurons. Here, we constructed a gene targeting vector to knock-in the human GDNF gene at the bovine beta-casein gene locus as a first step to producing transgenic animals with a high level of expression of human GDNF protein in their mammary glands. Bovine fetal fibroblast cells were transfected with linearized pNRTCNbG by electroporation. Three cell clones were identified with successful targeting to the beta-casein locus; and were confirmed using both polymerase chain reaction analysis and sequencing. Gene-targeted cells were used as nuclear donors; a total of 161 embryos were reconstructed, 23 of which developed to the blastocyst stage. These blastocysts were transferred to 8 recipient cows, but no offspring were obtained.

Identification of a Specific Pseudo attP Site for Phage PhiC31 Integrase in Bovine Genome

Background: PhiC31 integrase system provides a new platform in various felid of research, mainly in gene therapy and creation of transgenic animals. This system enables integration of exogenous DNA into preferred locations in mammalian genomes, which results in robust, long-term expression of the integrated transgene. Objectives: Identification of a novel pseudo attP site. Materials and Methods: Genomic DNA was extracted from primary bovine fetal fibroblast cells, which were stably transfected with EGFP and phiC31 integrase cDNAs carrying vectors. An inverse PCR was carried out for production of mini-circle DNAs and followed by sequencing. Results: A new specific pseudo attP site termed BF5 was identified in bovine genome. This site is located in an intergenic AT rich region on chromosome 5 with similar features of other mammalian attP pseudo sites. Furthermore, direct sequencing of generated attL site confirmed that site-specific transgene recombination was occurred at this site. Conclusions: This finding confirmed that phiC31 integrase could be feasible for production of transgenic animals for biotechnological applications.

Improved site-specific recombinase-based method to produce selectable marker- and vector-backbone-free transgenic cells

PhiC31 integrase-mediated gene delivery has been extensively used in gene therapy and animal transgenesis. However, random integration events are observed in phiC31-mediated integration in different types of mammalian cells; as a result, the efficiencies of pseudo attP site integration and evaluation of site-specific integration are compromised. To improve this system, we used an attB-TK fusion gene as a negative selection marker, thereby eliminating random integration during phiC31-mediated transfection. We also excised the selection system and plasmid bacterial backbone by using two other site-specific recombinases, Cre and Dre. Thus, we generated clean transgenic bovine fetal fibroblast cells free of selectable marker and plasmid bacterial backbone. These clean cells were used as donor nuclei for somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), indicating a similar developmental competence of SCNT embryos to that of non-transgenic cells. Therefore, the present gene delivery system facilitated the development of gene therapy and agricultural biotechnology.

Effects of CMV Enhancer on Activity and Specificity of Bovine MyoG Gene Promoter

Connected a segment of CMV enhancer to the front of MyoG gene promoter and then constructed the corresponding dual luciferase expression vector pGL3-CMV-MyoGpro. We set four eukaryotic expression vectors including pGL3-CMV, pGL3-MyoGpro, pGL3-CMV-MyoGpro, and pGL3-Basic which contained CMV promoter, MyoG promoter, CMV-MyoG synthesis promoter, and a promoterless negative control, respectively. Then the four vectors and internal control Renilla luciferase report gene vector phRL-TK were transfected into bovine skeletal muscle satellite cells, mouse C2C12 cells and bovine fetal fibroblast cells to detect the promoter activity with dual luciferase report system. The results showed that CMV enhancer could significantly improve the transcription activity of bovine MyoG gene promoter in muscle satellite cells and mouse C2C12 cells, and it had certain specificity. This study provided experimental materials for increasing the high expression of exogenous gene in bovine muscle cells, and also laid the molecular theoretical basis for obtaining the high specific promoter of bovine muscle and the transgenic beef cattle.

Bovine fetal epithelium cells expressing shRNA targeting viral VP1 gene resisted against foot-and-mouth disease virus

RNAi could protect experimental animals from Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), but pivotal issue is delivery of RNAi. In this study, shRNA recombinant lentiviral plasmid RNAi-LT6 targeting VP1 of FMDV, which strongly suppressed the transient expression of a FLAG-tagged VP1 protein in 293T cells and significantly inhibited viral replication in BHK-21 cells, was screened and transfected into bovine fetal fibroblast cells. With subsequent somatic cell cloning, three 4-month-old transgenic fetuses were obtained, and integration into chromosome and expression of shRNA in primary transgenic tongue epithelium cells were confirmed by Southern hybridization and Northern assay, respectively. shRNA significantly suppressed viral RNA synthesis and viral replication in primary transgenic tongue epithelium cells after inoculation of 200 TCID50 of FMDV. The results suggested that transgenic cloning may be a useful tool for RNAi delivery and RNAi anti-viral strategy, and RNAi-LT6 could be a candidate shRNA used for preparation of transgenic cattle against FMDV.

331 OPTIMIZATION OF BRANCHED 25kDa POLYETHYLENIMINE FOR EFFICIENT GENE DELIVERY IN BOVINE FETAL FIBROBLASTS

Cost-effective, highly efficient, and noncytotoxic transfection of bovine fetal fibroblasts (BFF) has proven difficult to achieve by regular chemical and physical methods. The aims of this study were to evaluate transient transfection efficiency and toxicity of commercially available branched 25 kDa polyethylenimine (25 kDa PEI, Sigma-Aldrich, St. Louis, MO, USA) and to optimize the transfection conditions leading to high percentages of PEI-transfected fibroblasts with minimum cytotoxic effects. Bovine fetal fibroblast (BFF) cells were seeded a day before transfection in 24-well plates at a density of 3 × 104 cells per well in DMEM with antibiotics and 10% SFB. When 70 to 90% confluence was reached, cells were washed with PBS and incubated in DMEM without antibiotics or SFB. For the transfection-mix preparation, increasing amounts of plasmidic DNA (pZsGreen1; 2 to 6 µg) were added to 50 µL of DMEM without antibiotics or SFB, incubated for 5 min at room temperature, and complexed with 0.5 to 4 µg of PEI (from 1 mg mL–1 solution) in 50 µL of PBS for 10 min. This transfection mix was added to the cell cultures and, 2 h later, 500 µL of DMEM with antibiotics and 10% SFB was added to each well. Detection of green fluorescent protein (GFP) expression by flow cytometry (reported as percentage of green fluorescent cells) was performed 48 h after transfection. Results were analysed by ANOVA and Tukey test and expressed as mean ± SEM (P < 0.05). We found no significant difference between the percentage of GFP-positive cells transfected with 1 or 2 µg of 25 kDa PEI at 2 µg of DNA/well (15.2 ± 1.3 v. 16.9 ± 0.9%, respectively; P > 0.05), whereas cells transfected with 1 or 2 µg of low-molecular-weight PEI (2 kDa) showed extremely low transfection efficiencies. Increasing the DNA load up to 6 µg significantly enhanced cell transfection (3.5- and 6-fold comparing 2 µg v. 4 µg and 6 µg of DNA, respectively; P < 0.05) at 1 and 2 µg of 25 kDa PEI/well. In order to evaluate the cytotoxic effect of PEI, cell viability was determined using the MTT assay in 96-well plates (cells/well), with each condition scaled down to replicate the effect of 2 kDa or 25 kDa PEI in a 24-well plate. The MTT results (expressed as % of the control) indicated that PEI became cytotoxic at concentrations equivalent to 2 and 4 µg/well (54.7 ± 3.4 and 18.5 ± 5.7, respectively), whereas 1 µg/well produced a slight detrimental effect on cell viability (90.0 ± 2.6). No evidence of cytotoxicity was observed when the BFF were incubated with 0.5 µg/well of 25 kDa PEI and 1 or 2 µg/well of 2 kDa PEI. To study if a combination of low- and high-molecular-weight PEI could improve transfection efficiency and reduce toxicity, we tested a mixture (1 : 1) of 2 kDa and 25 kDa PEI. Even though the 1 : 1 mixture was less cytotoxic, the efficiency of gene delivery was not improved. We conclude that, under our experimental conditions, the highest percentage of GFP-expressing cells with good viability was obtained when 1 µg of 25 kDa PEI was added per well. Therefore, branched 25 kDa PEI transfection represents an efficient, simple, and cost-effective alternative for gene delivery in bovine fibroblast cells in culture.

Identification of Short Hairpin RNA Targeting Foot-And-Mouth Disease Virus with Transgenic Bovine Fetal Epithelium Cells

BackgroundAlthough it is known that RNA interference (RNAi) targeting viral genes protects experimental animals, such as mice, from the challenge of Foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV), it has not been previously investigated whether shRNAs targeting FMDV in transgenic dairy cattle or primary transgenic bovine epithelium cells will confer resistance against FMDV challenge.Principal FindingHere we constructed three recombinant lentiviral vectors containing shRNA against VP2 (RNAi-VP2), VP3 (RNAi-VP3), or VP4 (RNAi-VP4) of FMDV, and found that all of them strongly suppressed the transient expression of a FLAG-tagged viral gene fusion protein in 293T cells. In BHK-21 cells, RNAi-VP4 was found to be more potent in inhibition of viral replication than the others with over 98% inhibition of viral replication. Therefore, recombinant lentiviral vector RNAi-VP4 was transfected into bovine fetal fibroblast cells to generate transgenic nuclear donor cells. With subsequent somatic cell cloning, we generated forty transgenic blastocysts, and then transferred them to 20 synchronized recipient cows. Three transgenic bovine fetuses were obtained after pregnant period of 4 months, and integration into chromosome in cloned fetuses was confirmed by Southern hybridization. The primary tongue epithelium cells of transgenic fetuses were isolated and inoculated with 100 TCID50 of FMDV, and it was observed that shRNA significantly suppressed viral RNA synthesis and inhibited over 91% of viral replication after inoculation of FMDV for 48 h.ConclusionRNAi-VP4 targeting viral VP4 gene appears to prevent primary epithelium cells of transgenic bovine fetus from FMDV infection, and it could be a candidate shRNA used for cultivation of transgenic cattle against FMDV.

Construction of fat1 Gene Expression Vector and Its Catalysis Efficiency in Bovine Fetal Fibroblast Cells.

The FAT-1 protein is an n-3 fatty acid desaturase, which can recognize a range of 18- and 20-carbon n-6 substrates and transform n-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) into n-3 PUFAs while n-3 PUFAs have beneficial effect on human health. Fat1 gene is the coding sequence from Caenorhabditis elegans which might play an important role on lipometabolism. To reveal the function of fat1 gene in bovine fetal fibroblast cells and gain the best cell nuclear donor for transgenic bovines, the codon of fat1 sequence was optimized based on the codon usage frequency preference of bovine muscle protein, and directionally cloned into the eukaryotic expression vector pEF-GFP. After identifying by restrictive enzyme digests with AatII/XbaI and sequencing, the fusion plasmid pEF-GFP-fat1 was identified successfully. The pEF-GFP-fat1 vector was transfected into bovine fetal fibroblast cells mediated by Lipofectamine2000TM. The positive bovine fetal fibroblast cells were selected by G418 and detected by RT-PCR. The results showed that a 1,234 bp transcription was amplified by reverse transcription PCR and the positive transgenic fat1 cell line was successfully established. Then the expression level of fat1 gene in positive cells was detected using quantitative PCR, and the catalysis efficiency was detected by gas chromatography. The results demonstrated that the catalysis efficiency of fat1 was significantly high, which can improve the total PUFAs rich in EPA, DHA and DPA. Construction and expression of pEF-GFP-fat1 vector should be helpful for further understanding the mechanism of regulation of fat1 in vitro. It could also be the first step in the production of fat1 transgenic cattle.

Human Gdnf Gene Knock-in at Beta-casein Locus in Bovine Fetal Fibroblast Cells and Production of Gene-targeted Blastocysts by SCNT

Human Gdnf Gene Knock-in at Beta-casein Locus in Bovine Fetal Fibroblast Cells and Production of Gene-targeted Blastocysts by SCNT

122 THE SURVIVAL RATE AND EMBRYONIC QUALITY OF BOVINE PARTHENOGENETIC BLASTOCYSTS POST-VITRIFICATION CRYOPRESERVATION

Cryopreservation of oocytes and embryos is very useful to conservation of animal genetic resources. Recently, parthenogenesis has received considerable attention as a tool for the production of stem cells. Oocytes and embryos undergo considerable morphological changes and functional damage during cryopreservation, and the survival rate is highly depending on species and developmental stage of oocytes and embryos. The aim of this study was to investigate the survival rate and embryonic quality of bovine parthenogenetic blastocysts post-vitrification cryopreservation. Cumulus-oocyte complexes (COC) from slaughterhouse ovaries were aspirated from 2-mm to 8-mm visible follicles with a 5-mL syringe. The COC were matured in vitro for 22 h in bicarbonate-buffered TCM199 media supplemented with 1 mg mL-1 of FSH, 10 mg mL-1 of LH, 1 mg mL-1 of 17-βiestradiol, and 10% FBS. After in vitro maturation, cumulus cells were removed from COC, oocytes with first polar body were activated by 5 μM ionomycin for 5 min and 2 mM 6-DMAP for 4 h. Subsequently, oocytes were co-cultured with bovine fetal fibroblast cells in SOF media supplemented with amino acids (1% NEAA and 2% EAA), 4 mg mL-1 of BSA, and 10% FBS at conditions of 38.5°C and 5% CO2 for 7 to 9 days. The good expanded blastocysts were selected and refrigerated in different vectors [glass micropipettes (GMP) and straws] and same vitrification solution (VS, 20% EG + 20% DMSO). Blastocysts were exposed to VS, loaded on vectors, and plunged into liquid nitrogen within 25 s. After two days refrigeration, vitrified blastocysts were thawed in air for 10 s and placed into 0.25 M sucrose solution for 1 min and 0.15 M sucrose solution for 5 min. Then, the blastocysts were cultured in the SOF medium same as above. Our results showed that when VS was 20% EG + 20% DMSO, the hatching rate (65%) of blastocysts loaded into GMP was significantly higher (P < 0.05) than that (19%) of blastocysts loaded into straws post-vitrification. Meanwhile, vitrified and nonvitrified blastocysts were fixed and stained for differential cell counting as described by Thouas GA et al. 2001 Reprod. Biomed. Online 3, 25-29). By the differential staining, the total cells of nonvitrified parthenogenetic bovine blastocysts were 102.7, which was higher (P > 0.05) than that (86.7) of vitrified blastocysts. Also, no significant difference (P > 0.05) was seen on ratios between vitrified blastocysts (ICM/TE = 0.22) and nonvitrified blastocysts (ICM/TE = 0.25). Our results indicated that a glass micropipette vector was much better than a straw in vitrification cryopreservation of bovine parthenogenetic blastocysts and caused less damage to blastocyst cells. This study lays the foundation for further research to increase the survival rate of vitrification cryopreservation of bovine embryos. This work was supported by the grant from national support plan, China, No. 2007BAD55B03; corresponding author: Ziyi Li.

235 EXPRESSION OF PLURIPOTENCY-ASSOCIATED GENES IN BOVINE FETAL FIBROBLAST CELLS AND ADIPOSE-DERIVED STEM CELLS

The extraordinary nature of embryonic stem cells (ESC) lends them the remarkable ability to give rise to all the cell types of a mammalian organism, an attribute known as pluripotency. The pluripotent state of ESC is dependent on the expression of the genes Oct-4, Nanog, and Sox-2, which have also been identified as the key transcriptional regulators of pluripotency. Until recently, Oct-4, Nanog, and Sox-2 were believed to be expressed solely in ESC; however, studies have reported the expression of these genes in some sources of adult stem cells (ASC) of both the mouse and pig. In the current study, we examined cells derived from bovine adipose tissue and fetal fibroblast for the expression of Nanog and Sox-2. Cells were isolated from the adipose tissue of an adult cow and the skin of 2 male fetuses, approximately 70 and 80 d old, and cultured through 6 passages. Total RNA was isolated from each of the 3 cell lines at passages 2, 4, and 6 using TRI Reagent®. Using the Bio-Rad iScript™ cDNA Synthesis Kit, the resulting RNA products were transcribed into cDNA 3 times for separate RT-PCR reactions. RT-PCR was performed with primers for Nanog, Sox-2, and Poly A Polymerase (PAP), as a reference gene for normalization. Primer sets for Nanog and PAP have previously been verified to amplify their respective transcripts in bovine embryos. Reaction products of PCR were subjected to electrophoresis and analyzed by Quantity One software (Bio-Rad). The number of pixels in each electrophoresis band was used to determine the relative transcript levels and was expressed as a ratio of Nanog or Sox-2 to PAP (Table 1). Both Nanog and Sox-2 were present in all cell lines at all 3 passages. Because Oct-4 is known to function synergistically with Nanog and Sox-2 to confer pluripotency, we are currently examining these samples for the presence of Oct-4. The presence of transcripts for the pluripotency-associated genes Nanog and Sox-2 in cells that are not inherently pluripotent suggests that there might be another level of regulation at the translational level for these genes. Table 1.Transcript abundance of pluripotency-associated genes relative to PA P in bovine fetal fibroblast (BFF) and adipose-derived adult stem cells (ADAS)

Deciphering Induction of Pluripotency in a Bovine Model.

Strategies utilized in deriving embryonic stem (ES) cells from mouse and primate embryos have not been sufficient for maintaining self renewal and inhibiting spontaneous differentiation in ungulate embryo explant cultures, implying that ungulate ESC may require a unique signature of signal transduction pathways, transcription factor hierarchies, and chromatin modifications. To determine how key transcription factors OCT4 (POU5F1) and SOX2 induce changes in developmental potential within differentiated bovine cells, we constructed inducible bOCT4 and bSOX2 expression constructs and a live cell, pluripotency-specific transcriptional marker using the bovine NANOG promoter. The open reading frames of transcription factors bOCT4 and bSOX2 were obtained via RT-PCR from bovine CT-1 and bovine fetal fibroblast (BFF) cell lines, respectively. The bovine NANOG promoter was obtained by PCR from genomic DNA. The bOCT4 ORF was joined to a hemagglutinin (HA) epitope tag sequence and cloned into the tetracycline-inducible pTHE vector, which also contains a bicistronic tetracycline repressor (TetR)-IRES-neomycin resistance cassette. The bSOX2 ORF was joined to a MYC epitope tag sequence and cloned into a modified pTHE vector containing a bicistronic TetR-IRES-nuclear localized dsRED2 cassette. Each construct was transiently transfected into HEK293 cells and then doxycycline induced for initial protein expression analysis. Recombinant protein levels were analyzed by western blot. Both constructs were shown to be responsive to doxycycline in a dose dependent manner (0 ng/ml - 10 ng/ml). Immunocytochemistry of induced, transfected HEK293 cells demonstrated that these recombinant transcription factors localized to nuclei, indicating that the HA and MYC epitopes did not obstruct proper protein transport and localization. The transcriptional marker construct, bNANOG promoter linked to nuclear localized green fluorescent protein (bNANOGp-nGFP) was also created using a portion of the bNANOG promoter 440 base pairs upstream of the translational start site. Stable expression of nGFP driven by the bNANOG promoter was obtained in both NANOG expressing R1 mouse ESC and human NTERA cell lines. Expression of nGFP was down-regulated in differentiating R1 mES cells and was not observed in BFF. These studies demonstrated that the bNANOG promoter functioned as expected and that when linked to a marker gene can be used to study induction, maintenance, and loss of pluripotency. These results validate the constructs for appropriate use in studies exploring induction and loss of pluripotency, thus allowing us to follow changes in the transcriptome of selected BFF cells throughout the initial stage of reprogramming and uncover signature markers indicating increased developmental potential. This research was supported by CSREES USDA NRI grant 200405447 and Maryland Agricultural Experimental Station grants. (poster)