Name: transient expression of proteins by hydrodynamic gene delivery in mice
Uploaded: 2014-05-05T16:30:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Transient Expression of Proteins by Hydrodynamic Gene Delivery in Mice at JoVE.com

We thank Xia Liu (Regeneron Pharmaceuticals) for initially teaching us the HGD technique and Dr. Russell Thomson (Albert Einstein College of Medicine) for his continual guidance in various aspects of the technology. This work was funded by Hunter College, CUNY start up funds and NSF Bread award IOS-1249166. We thank the NYULMC Histopathology Core NYUCI Center Support Grant, NIH/NCI 5 P30CA16087-31 for histology on mouse livers.

All experiments described here were approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Hunter College, City University of New York.
1.&#160;Preparation of endotoxin-free plasmid DNA
<ol>
	<li>Pick a single colony of bacteria containing the gene of interest in a mammalian expression vector from a freshly streaked selective plate.</li>
	<li>Follow the recommendations found in the handbook of a commercially available endotoxin-free plasmid purification kit for growing and harvesting...

<ol>
	<li>Liu, F., Song, Y., Liu, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hydrodynamics-based+transfection+in+animals+by+systemic+administration+of+plasmid+DNA.">Hydrodynamics-based transfection in animals by systemic administration of plasmid DNA.</a> Gene Ther. 6, 1258-1266 (1999).</li><li>Zhang, G., Budker, V., Wolff, J. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High+levels+of+foreign+gene+expression+in+hepatocytes+after+tail+vein+injections+of+naked+plasmid+DNA.">High levels of foreign gene expression in hepatocytes after tail vein injections of naked plasmid DNA.</a> Hum Gene Ther. 10, 1735-1737 (1999).</li><li>Miao, C. H., Thompson, A. 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S., Gao, X. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Nonviral+gene+delivery:+principle,+limitations,+and+recent+progress.">Nonviral gene delivery: principle, limitations, and recent progress.</a> Aaps J. 11, 671-681 (2009).</li><li>Gao, X., Kim, K. S., Liu, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Nonviral+gene+delivery:+what+we+know+and+what+is+next.">Nonviral gene delivery: what we know and what is next.</a> Aaps J. 9, (2007).</li><li>Herweijer, H., Wolff, J. A. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Gene+therapy+progress+and+prospects:+hydrodynamic+gene+delivery.">Gene therapy progress and prospects: hydrodynamic gene delivery.</a> Gene Ther. 14, 99-107 (2007).</li><li>Kobayashi, N., Nishikawa, M., Takakura, Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=The+hydrodynamics-based+procedure+for+controlling+the+pharmacokinetics+of+gene+medicines+at+whole+body,+organ+and+cellular+levels.">The hydrodynamics-based procedure for controlling the pharmacokinetics of gene medicines at whole body, organ and cellular levels.</a> Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 57, 713-731 (2005).</li><li>Al-Dosari, M. S., Knapp, J. E., Liu, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hydrodynamic+delivery.">Hydrodynamic delivery.</a> Adv Genet. 54, 65-82 (2005).</li><li>Bell, J. B., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Preferential+delivery+of+the+Sleeping+Beauty+transposon+system+to+livers+of+mice+by+hydrodynamic+injection.">Preferential delivery of the Sleeping Beauty transposon system to livers of mice by hydrodynamic injection.</a> Nat Protoc. 2, 3153-3165 (2007).</li><li>Osorio, F. G., de la Rosa, J., Freije, J. M. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Luminescence-based+in+vivo+monitoring+of+NF-kappaB+activity+through+a+gene+delivery+approach.">Luminescence-based in vivo monitoring of NF-kappaB activity through a gene delivery approach.</a> Cell Commun Signal. 11, (2013).</li><li>Knapp, J. E., Liu, D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Hydrodynamic+delivery+of+DNA.">Hydrodynamic delivery of DNA.</a> Methods Mol Biol. 245, 245-250 (2004).</li><li>Yang, J., Chen, S., Huang, L., Michalopoulos, G. K., Liu, Y. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Sustained+expression+of+naked+plasmid+DNA+encoding+hepatocyte+growth+factor+in+mice+promotes+liver+and+overall+body+growth.">Sustained expression of naked plasmid DNA encoding hepatocyte growth factor in mice promotes liver and overall body growth.</a> Hepatology. 33, 848-859 (2001).</li><li>Maruyama, H., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=High-level+expression+of+naked+DNA+delivered+to+rat+liver+via+tail+vein+injection.">High-level expression of naked DNA delivered to rat liver via tail vein injection.</a> J Gene Med. 4, 333-341 (2002).</li><li>Hen, G., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Expression+of+foreign+genes+in+chicks+by+hydrodynamics-based+naked+plasmid+transfer+in+vivo.">Expression of foreign genes in chicks by hydrodynamics-based naked plasmid transfer in vivo.</a> Domestic animal endocrinology. 30, 135-143 (2006).</li><li>Eastman, S. J., et al. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Development+of+catheter-based+procedures+for+transducing+the+isolated+rabbit+liver+with+plasmid+DNA.">Development of catheter-based procedures for transducing the isolated rabbit liver with plasmid DNA.</a> Hum Gene Ther. 13, 2065-2077 (2002).</li><li>Yoshino, H., Hashizume, K., Kobayashi, E. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Naked+plasmid+DNA+transfer+to+the+porcine+liver+using+rapid+injection+with+large+volume.">Naked plasmid DNA transfer to the porcine liver using rapid injection with large volume.</a> Gene Ther. 13, 1696-1702 (2006).</li><li>Vanden Bossche, P. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Some+general+aspects+of+the+distribution+and+epidemiology+of+bovine+trypanosomosis+in+southern+Africa.">Some general aspects of the distribution and epidemiology of bovine trypanosomosis in southern Africa.</a> Int J Parasitol. 31, 592-598 (2001).</li><li>Fevre, E. 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When performed correctly, HGD is a remarkably safe and effective means of transgene delivery. The critical steps to successful HGD are: 1) delivering the right amount of DNA in a large volume of saline vehicle 2) into the tail vein of the mouse 3) in less than 8 sec.
Although the process of injection itself undeniably requires some manual dexterity, the success of this six-second procedure often lies in careful preparation of the experiment. The amount of pDNA necessary to achieve maximal gene...

Since its first description by Liu et al. and Zhang et al., hydrodynamic gene delivery (HGD) has become an invaluable tool for studying gene function in rodent model systems1,2. The technique involves the rapid injection (5-7 sec) of a large volume (8-12% body weight) of solution into the tail vein of mice to facilitate the uptake of plasmid DNA by the cells of target organs1,2. These conditions lead to robust gene expression in the liver and less gene expression in the kidney, spleen, lung and heart.
Injection of 10 &#956;g pCMV-LacZ plasmid can transfect as much as 40% of hepatocytes, making HGD the most efficient, non-viral, in vivo gene delivery method to date1. Unlike viral carriers, pDNA is easy to prepare, does not elicit an immune response in the rodent host3 and does not pose a health risk by recombining with endogenous viruses. In addition, since the DNA molecules delivered by HGD do not need packaging, this method is suitable for the delivery of bacterial artificial chromosomes (BAC) as large as 150 kb4. Other types of molecules that have been delivered by a hydrodynamic method include RNA5-10, morpholinos11, proteins12,13 and other small molecules12,14. The advantages and disadvantages of HGD over other delivery methods have been discussed in excellent reviews in the literature15-20 and a number of authors have provided a detailed description of the procedure21-23.
Introducing transgenes into mice by HGD is safe and effective1-3,24 and the method has been used in rats with comparable success25. With certain modifications, proof-of-concept experiments have been carried out in chickens26, rabbits27 and pigs28, although, the in vivo application of this technique in larger animals remains a challenge. When using this method, another common limitation is that many of the available mammalian expression vectors lack the components to achieve a persistent, high level of gene expression. Using a pCMV-Luc plasmid, gene expression in the target organs is evident as early as ten minutes after HGD, however, the initial, high expression level drops sharply in the first week after injection1. Long-term transgene expression is possible depending on the promoter and intron used in plasmid design3,24 however, maintenance of high-level gene expression often requires repeated injections. For this reason, HGD might be less suitable to study chronic diseases that are a result of long-term exposure to damaging proteins or protein products. With these limitations, HGD is an exceptionally powerful tool for studying the potential role of a gene and the effect of it mutants in vivo, as well as the therapeutic effects and regulation of proteins and for establishing animal models of disease (for review, see15). For example, HGD may be used to assign function to domains and amino acids of proteins by individually introducing various gene constructs into mice that have the respective genes knocked out. Furthermore, this technique may be used in any mouse strain.
This protocol describes HGD in mice with a focus on the technical aspects necessary to achieve successful transfection: correct needle insertion into the vein, injection volume and speed of delivery. The application of this method is demonstrated in a mouse model of African trypanosomiasis, a fatal disease of humans and livestock29,30. While several species of trypanosomes cause disease in livestock, most cannot cause disease in humans due to innate immune complexes in blood called trypanosome lytic factors (TLFs)29,31,32. These pore-forming, high-density lipoproteins (HDL) contain two unique, primate-specific proteins: HPR, the ligand, which facilitates the uptake of TLFs into trypanosomes, and APOL-I, the lytic component31,33-38. Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense is able to infect humans due to expression of a serum resistance-associated protein (SRA) that binds to and neutralizes human APOL-I34,39. Baboon TLF is not neutralized by SRA due to its divergent APOL-I protein40. As reported previously, using a mammalian expression vector (pRG977), transgenic expression of baboon TLF components in mice confers protection against human-infective trypanosomes40. The representative data presented here demonstrate how hydrodynamic gene delivery may be applied to study the therapeutic effects of a protein.

<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="615">
	<tbody>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Alcohol Prep Wipe</td>
			<td style="width:113px;">Webcol</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:119px;">6818</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">AST kit, Amplite Colorimetric</td>
			<td style="width:113px;">AAT Bioquest</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:119px;">13801</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">Conical Tube, 50 ml</td>
			<td style="width:113px;">BD Falcon</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:119px;">352070</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">EndoFree Plasmid Maxi Kit</td>
			<td style="width:113px;">Qiagen</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:119px;">12362</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="21">
			<td height="21" style="height:21px;width:216px;">KimWipes</td>
			<td style="width:113px;">KIMTECH</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:119px;">34120</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="41">
			<td height="41" style="height:41px;width:216px;">Mouse Tail Illuminator</td>
			<td style="width:113px;">Braintree Scientific</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">MTI RST</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">Or equivalent</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="41">
			<td height="41" style="height:41px;width:216px;">Needle, 20 Gx 1 (0.9mmx25mm)</td>
			<td style="width:113px;">BD</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:119px;">305175</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="41">
			<td height="41" style="height:41px;width:216px;">Needle, 27 Gx 1/2 (0.9mmx25mm)</td>
			<td style="width:113px;">BD</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:119px;">305109</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="61">
			<td height="61" style="height:61px;width:216px;">pRG977 (mammalian expression vector)</td>
			<td style="width:113px;">Regeneron Pharmaceuticals</td>
			<td style="width:119px;"></td>
			<td style="width:167px;">Material Transfer Agreement required</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="41">
			<td height="41" style="height:41px;width:216px;">Sodium Chloride, 0.9% INJ USP 10 ml, Hospira&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:113px;">Fisher</td>
			<td style="width:119px;">NC9054335</td>
			<td style="width:167px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="61">
			<td height="61" style="height:61px;width:216px;">Syringe, 3ml, Luer-Lok Tip</td>
			<td style="width:113px;">BD</td>
			<td align="right" style="width:119px;">309657</td>
			<td style="width:167px;">Luer Lock necessary to withstand pressure from HGD</td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

transient expression of proteins by hydrodynamic gene delivery in mice

Efficient expression of transgenes in vivo is of critical importance in studying gene function and developing treatments for diseases. Over the past years, hydrodynamic gene delivery (HGD) has emerged as a simple, fast, safe and effective method for delivering transgenes into rodents. This technique relies on the force generated by the rapid injection of a large volume of physiological solution to increase the permeability of cell membranes of perfused organs and thus deliver DNA into cells. One of the main advantages of HGD is the ability to introduce transgenes into mammalian cells using naked plasmid DNA (pDNA). Introducing an exogenous gene using a plasmid is minimally laborious, highly efficient and, contrary to viral carriers, remarkably safe. HGD was initially used to deliver genes into mice, it is now used to deliver a wide range of substances, including oligonucleotides, artificial chromosomes, RNA, proteins and small molecules into mice, rats and, to a limited degree, other animals. This protocol describes HGD in mice and focuses on three key aspects of the method that are critical to performing the procedure successfully: correct insertion of the needle into the vein, the volume of injection and the speed of delivery. Examples are given to show the application of this method to the transient expression of two genes that encode secreted, primate-specific proteins, apolipoprotein L-I (APOL-I) and haptoglobin-related protein (HPR).

Correct positioning of the needle into the tail vein of the mouse (as illustrated in Figure 1) is a prerequisite for successfully delivering a transgene by hydrodynamics-based transfection. Often the most challenging part of the technique, however, is the retention of the needle within the tail vein without movement so that the entire volume of the injection can be delivered within a 6-8 s period. Minor errors during the injection process may result in vastly reduced transfection efficiency and protein e...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Transient Expression of Proteins by Hydrodynamic Gene Delivery in Mice at JoVE.com

Transient Expression of Proteins by Hydrodynamic Gene Delivery in Mice

In vivo transfection of naked DNA by hydrodynamic gene delivery introduces genes into the tissue of an animal with minimal inflammatory response. Sufficient amounts of gene product are generated such that gene function and regulation as well as protein structure and function can be analyzed.

Efficient expression of transgenes in vivo is of critical importance in studying gene function and developing treatments for diseases. Over the past ...

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

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