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Somatic integration and long-term transgene expression in normal and haemophilic mice using a DNA transposon system

Nature Genetics volume 25, pages 35–41 (2000)Cite this article

Abstract

The development of non-viral gene-transfer technologies that can support stable chromosomal integration and persistent gene expression in vivo is desirable. Here we describe the successful use of transposon technology for the nonhomologous insertion of foreign genes into the genomes of adult mammals using naked DNA. We show that the Sleeping Beauty transposase can efficiently insert transposon DNA into the mouse genome in approximately 5–6% of transfected mouse liver cells. Chromosomal transposition resulted in long-term expression (>5 months) of human blood coagulation factor IX at levels that were therapeutic in a mouse model of haemophilia B. Our results establish DNA-mediated transposition as a new genetic tool for mammals, and provide new strategies to improve existing non-viral and viral vectors for human gene therapy applications.

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Figure 1: Transposition in cultured mammalian cells.
Figure 2: Sleeping Beauty mediates transposition into the mouse genome.
Figure 3: β-galactosidase expression in mouse liver following administration of transposition vectors.
Figure 4: Sleeping Beauty mediates long-term transgene expression in adult mice.

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Acknowledgements

We thank H. Nakai and K. Ohashi for their advice and technical assistance, and A. McCaffrey for critical reading of this manuscript. This work was supported by NIH grant DK49022 (M.A.K.). S.R.Y was the recipient of a PHS NRS award T32 GM07270 from NIGMS.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Pediatrics and Genetics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA

    Stephen R. Yant, Leonard Meuse, Winnie Chiu & Mark A. Kay

  2. Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

    Stephen R. Yant

  3. Max Delbruck Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany

    Zoltan Ivics & Zsuzsanna Izsvak

  4. Biological Research Center, Hungarian Academy of Sciences , Szeged, Hungary

    Zsuzsanna Izsvak

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Correspondence to Mark A. Kay.

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Yant, S., Meuse, L., Chiu, W. et al. Somatic integration and long-term transgene expression in normal and haemophilic mice using a DNA transposon system. Nat Genet 25, 35–41 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/75568

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