Effectiveness of transgene transfer into genome is crucially concerned in mass production of the bio-pharmaceuticals using genetically modified transgenic animals as a bioreactor. Recently, the mammary gland has been considered as a potential bioreactor for the mass production of the bio-pharmaceuticals, which appears to be capable of appropriate post-translational modifications of recombinant proteins. The mammary gland tissue specific vector system may be helpful in solving serious physiological disturbance problems which have been a major obstacle in successful production of transgenic animals. In this study, to minimize physiological disturbance caused by constitutive over-expression of the exogenous gene, we constructed new retrovirus vector system designed for mammary gland-specific expression of the hEPO gene. Using piggyBac vector system, we designed to express hEPO gene under the control of mammary gland tissue specific and lactogenic hormonal inducible goat β-casein or mouse Whey Acidic Protein (mWAP) promoter. Inducible expression of the hEPO gene was confirmed using RT-PCR and ELISA in the mouse mammary gland cells treated with lactogenic hormone. We expect the vector system may optimize production efficiency of transgenic animal and reduce the risk of global expression of transgene.

유선에서 젖의 생산은 뇌하수체 호르몬인 성장 호르몬과 프롤락틴을 포함한 여러 가지 호르몬의 조절을 받는다. 최근의 연구에 따르면 이 호르몬들 중에서 성장호르몬과 프롤락틴은 유선에서도 그 유전자 전사체가 발견된다 본 연구에서는 유선에서 발현되는 성장호르몬이 유선 특이 발현 유전자의 발현에 미치는 영향을 조사하고자 유선 특이 발현 유전자인 베타-락토글로불린(-lactoglobulin :BLG)의 프로모터를 모델 시스템으로 하여 소와 사람의 성장 호르몬이 유