Establishment of a novel triple-transgenic mouse: conditionally and liver-specifically expressing hepatitis C virus NS3/4A protease

Mol Biol Rep. 2014 Nov;41(11):7349-59. doi: 10.1007/s11033-014-3621-8. Epub 2014 Sep 9.

Abstract

It is well known that NS3/4A protein plays crucial roles in the hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication. NS3/4A protein also results to virus-mediated immune evasion and persistence of infection through the interaction with host proteins. However, the lack of a suitable animal model hampers studies of HCV NS3/4A protein interaction with host proteins, which impacts immunopathology due to infection. Here, transgenic vector containing transcriptional regulation and Fluc reporter gene was constructed to conditionally express NS3/4A protein under the dual control of Tet-On regulatory system and Cre/LoxP gene-knockout system. NS3/4A transgenic founder mice were continuously crossed with Lap transgenic mice expressing reverse tetracycline-controlled transcriptional activator (rtTA), the NS3/4A/Lap double transgenic mouse lines with liver-specifically and conditionally expressing reporter (luciferase Fluc) under control of Tet-On system were established. The NS3/4A/Lap double transgenic mouse are mated with Lap/LC-1 double transgenic mouse with liver-specifically and conditionally expressing Cre recombinase under control of Tet-On system, NS3/4A/Lap/LC-1 triple transgenic mouse were generated. In vivo bioluminescent imaging, western blotting and immunohistochemical staining (IHS) was used to confirm that NS3/4A protein was strictly expressed in the liver of Doxycycline-induced triple transgenic mice. The results show that we established a triple-transgenic mouse model conditionally expressing the HCV NS3/4A protein under strict control of the Tet-On regulatory system and Cre/loxP system. This novel transgenic mouse model expressing NS3/4A in a temporally and spatially-specific manner will be useful for studying interactions between HCV NS3/4A protein and the host, also for evaluating NS3/4A protease inhibitors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blotting, Western
  • CHO Cells
  • Carrier Proteins / metabolism*
  • Cricetinae
  • Cricetulus
  • DNA Primers / genetics
  • Disease Models, Animal*
  • Gene Knockout Techniques
  • Genetic Vectors
  • Hepacivirus / enzymology*
  • Immunohistochemistry
  • Integrases
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • Liver / metabolism*
  • Luciferases
  • Mice
  • Mice, Transgenic / genetics*
  • Mice, Transgenic / metabolism*
  • Mice, Transgenic / virology
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins / metabolism*

Substances

  • Carrier Proteins
  • DNA Primers
  • Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins
  • NS3 protein, hepatitis C virus
  • NS4A cofactor peptide, Hepatitis C virus
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins
  • Luciferases
  • Cre recombinase
  • Integrases