배아줄기세포를 이용한 형질전환동물의 제조는 유전자의 기능 연구에 필수적이다. 특히 유전자 파괴 생쥐는 유전자의 기능 연구뿐만 아니라 사람 질병 연구에 중요한 모델이 되어 왔다. 유전자 적중법(gene targeting)과 유전자 함정법(gene trapping)은 ES 세포에서 녹아웃(knockout) 생쥐를 제조하는 대표적인 방법이다. 20여 년 전 유전자 적중법과 함정법이 최초로 개발된 이후에 이 기술은 많은 변화를 거쳤다. 특히 상동재조합에 기초한 전통적 유전자 적중법은 대량 제조기반의 조건부 유전자 적중법의 개발로 이어졌고, 유전자 적중법 및 유전자 함정법의 장점 요소의 조합은 유전자를 파괴하는 범위를 넓혔고, 유전자 적중을 더욱 효율적으로 만들었다. 이런 기술은 특정 유전자를 표적으로 하는 다양한 종류의 돌연변이 형질전환동물을 제조할 수 있게 하여 포스트게놈 시대에 요구되는 전체 유전체의 기능 연구를 더욱 효과적으로 진행시켜 줄 것이다.

In an attempt to simultaneously produce two human proteins, hGH and hG-CSF, in the milk of transgenic mice, we constructed goat -casein-directed hGH and hG-CSF expression cassettes individually and generated transgenic mice by co-injecting them into mouse zygotes. Out of 33 transgenic mice, 29 were identified as double transgenic harboring both transgenes on their genome. All analyzed double transgenic females secreted both hGH and hG-CSF in their milks. Concentrations ranged from 2.1 to for hGH and from 0.04 to for hG-CSF. hG-CSF level was much lower than hGH level but very similar to that of single hG-CSF mice, which were introduced with hG-CSF cassette alone. In order to address the causes of concentration difference between hGH and hG-CSF in milk, we examined mRNA level of hGH and hG-CSF in the mammary glands of double transgenic mice and tissue specificity of hG-CSF mRNA expression in both double and single transgenic mice. Likewise protein levels in milk, hGH mRNA level was much higher than hG-CSF mRNA, and hG-CSF mRNA expression was definitely specific to the mammary glands of both double and single transgenic mice. These results demonstrated that two transgenes have distinct transcriptional potentials without interaction each other in double transgenic mice although two transgenes co-integrated into same genomic sites and their expressions were directed by the same goat -casein promoter. Therefore goat -casein promoter is very useful for the multiple production of human proteins in the milk of transgenic animals.

The standard protocol for the production of transgenic mouse from ES-injected embryo has to process via chimera producing and several times breeding steps, In contrast, tetraploid-ES cell complementation method allows the immediate generation of targeted murine mutants from genetically modified ES cell clones. The advantage of this advanced technique is a simple and efficient without chimeric intermediates. Recently, this method has been significantly improved through the discovery that ES cells derived from hybrid strains support the development of viable ES mice more efficiently than inbred ES cells do. Therefore, the objective of this study was to generate transgenic mice overexpressing human resistin gene by using tetrapioid-ES cell complementation method. Human resistin gene was amplified from human fetal liver cDNA library by PCR and cloned into pCR 2.1 TOPO T-vector and constructed in pCMV-Tag4C vector. Human resistin mammalian expression plasmid was transfected into D3-GL ES cells by lipofectamine 2000, and then after 8~10 days of transfection, the human resistin-expressing cells were selected with G418. In order to produce tetraploid embryos, blastomeres of diploid embryos at the two-cell stage were fused with two times of electric pulse using 60 V 30 sec. (fusion rate : 93.5%) and cultured upto the blastocyst stage (development rate : 94.6%). The 15~20 previously G418-selected ES cells were injected into tetraploid blastocysts, and then transferred into the uterus of E2.5d pseudopregnant recipient mice. To investigate the gestation progress, two El9.5d fetus were recovered by Casarean section and one fetus was confirmed to contain human resistin gene by genomic DNA-PCR. Therefore, this finding demonstrates that tetraploid-ES mouse technology can be considered as a useful tool to produce transgenic mouse for the rapid analysis of gene function in vivo.

Human papillomavirus type 16(HPV16) has been known to the major factor for the development of uterine cervical carcinomas. We have extended these studies to investigate the in vivo activities of HPV-16 E6/E7 when expressed in squamous epithelia of transgenic mice. Grossly, hK14HPV16E6/E7 transgenic mice had multiple phenotypes, including wrinkled skin that was apparent prior to the appearance of hair on neonates, thickened ears, and loss of hair in adults. In the transgenic mice, the wrinkled skin phenotype on the body and legs died at the age of 3-4 weeks. Histological analysis of demonstrated that E6/E7 causes epidermal hyperplasia in multiple transgenic lineages with high penetrance. This epithelial hyperplasia was characterized by an expansion of the proliferating compartment and an expansion of the keratinocyte and was associated with hyperkeratosis. These transgenic mice expressed E6/E7 transgene mainly in skin, heart, pancreas and kidney. Hyperplasia was found at the skin. The enzyme activities of GR, GPx and CuZnSOD were measured from the transgene cause keratinocyte at the skin. The specific enzyme activities were significantly higher in transgenic mice skin compared to the normal mice skin. Thus these transgenic mice may be useful for the develpment of antioxidant enzymes or other therapies for HPV-associated hyperkeratosis.

Human lactoferrin (hLF) is an 80 kDa iron-binding glycoprotein that is expressed in high concentration in milk and in lesser amount in the secondary or specific granules of neutrophils and in plasma, LF is classically considered to be related to the binding, transport, and storage of iron. The transgenic mice carrying the human hLF gene in conjunction with the bovine -casein promoter produced the human hLF in their milk during lactation. To screen transgenic mice, PCR was carried out using chromosomal DNA extracted from tail or toe tissues. In this study, stability of germ line transmission and expression of hLF were monitored up to generation Fl7 of a transgenic line. When female mouse of generation F9 was crossbred with normal male, generation F9 to Fl7 mice showed similar transmission rates (, respectively), implying that the hLF gene can be transmitted stably up to long term generation in the transgenic mice For ELISA analysis, hLF expression levels were determined with an hLF ELISA kit in accordance with the supplier's protocol. Expression levels of human hLF from milk of generation F9 to Fl3 mice were , respectively. These expression levels were lower than that of founder (6.6 mg/) mouse. We concluded that transgenic mice faithfully passed the transgene on their progeny and successively secreted target proteins into their milk through several generations.

생쥐에서 페르몬으로 알려진 소수성의 분자와 결합하는 major urinary proteins(MUPs)는 부분적으로 성장 호르몬(GH)의 조절을 받는다. 본 연구에서는 MT-GRF로 형질전환되어 성장호르몬이 증가된 생쥐에서 MUP의 발현을 조사하였다. 이 MT-GRF로 형질전환된 생쥐의 소변에서 MUP이 대조군보다 심하게 저하되어 나타났고, 암컷보다 수컷에서 더 저하되어 나타났다. 또한 MT-GRF를 근육에 주사한 생쥐에서도 MUP는 저하되어 나타났다.