Generation of transgenic chickens expressing the human erythropoietin (hEPO) gene in an oviduct-specific manner: Production of transgenic chicken eggs containing human erythropoietin in egg whites

PLoS One. 2018 May 30;13(5):e0194721. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194721. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

The transgenic chicken has been considered as a prospective bioreactor for large-scale production of costly pharmaceutical proteins. In the present study, we report successful generation of transgenic hens that lay eggs containing a high concentration of human erythropoietin (hEPO) in the ovalbumin. Using a feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-based pseudotyped lentivirus vector enveloped with G glycoproteins of the vesicular stomatitis virus, the replication-defective vector virus carrying the hEPO gene under the control of the chicken ovalbumin promoter was microinjected to the subgerminal cavity of freshly laid chicken eggs (stage X). Stable germline transmission of the hEPO transgene to the G1 progeny, which were non-mosaic and hemizygous for the hEPO gene under the ovalbumin promoter, was confirmed by mating of a G0 rooster with non-transgenic hens. Quantitative analysis of hEPO in the egg whites and in the blood samples taken from G1 transgenic chickens showed 4,810 ~ 6,600 IU/ml (40.1 ~ 55.0 μg/ml) and almost no detectable concentration, respectively, indicating tightly regulated oviduct-specific expression of the hEPO transgene. In terms of biological activity, there was no difference between the recombinant hEPO contained in the transgenic egg white and the commercially available counterpart, in vitro. We suggest that these results imply an important step toward efficient production of human cytokines from a transgenic animal bioreactor.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Animals, Genetically Modified / genetics
  • Animals, Genetically Modified / metabolism*
  • Chickens / genetics
  • Chickens / metabolism*
  • Egg White*
  • Erythropoietin / genetics
  • Erythropoietin / metabolism*
  • Female
  • Genetic Vectors / administration & dosage
  • Humans
  • Lentivirus / genetics
  • Male
  • Ovalbumin / genetics
  • Oviducts / metabolism*
  • Promoter Regions, Genetic
  • Transgenes / physiology*

Substances

  • EPO protein, human
  • Erythropoietin
  • Ovalbumin

Grants and funding

This work was supported by the Bio-industry Technology Development Program, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Republic of Korea, and by a grant from the Next-Generation BioGreen 21 Program (No. PJ011178), Rural Development Administration, Republic of Korea. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.