Name: generation of transgenic rats using a lentiviral vector approach
Uploaded: 2020-05-17T12:30:00
Description: Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Generation of Transgenic Rats using a Lentiviral Vector Approach at JoVE.com

This study was supported by the ANIMOD project within the Team Tech Core Facility Plus program of the Foundation for Polish Science, co-financed by the European Union under the European Regional Development Fund to WK.

The production and application of viral vectors was in accordance with Biosafety Level 2 guidelines and was approved by the Polish Ministry of Environment. All experimental animal procedures that are described below were approved by the Local Ethical Committee. The animals were housed in individually ventilated cages at a stable temperature (21&#8211;23 &#176;C) and humidity (50&#8211;60%) with ad libitum access to water and food under a 12 h/12 h light/dark cycle.
1. Lentiviral vector productio...

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Advances in transgenic technologies have made rodent models an invaluable tool in biomedical research. They provide the opportunity to study genotype-phenotype relationships in vivo. Here, we present a widely available alternative for conventional transgenesis by pronuclear injections. The use of lentiviral gene transduction bypasses the need for demanding microinjections because viral vectors can be injected under the zona pellucida. This approach does not affect embryo integrity, which essentially guarantees a 100% sur...

For many years, laboratory rodents, such as rats and mice, have been used to model human physiological and pathological conditions. Animal research has led to discoveries that were unattainable by any other means. Initially, genetic studies focused on the analysis of spontaneously occurring disorders and phenotypes that are considered to closely mimic the human condition1. The development of genetic engineering methods allowed the introduction or deletion of specific genes to obtain a desired phenotype. Therefore, the generation of transgenic animals is recognized as a fundamental technique in modern research that allows studies of gene function in living organisms.
Transgenic animal technology has become possible through a combination of achievements in experimental embryology and molecular biology. In the 1960s, the Polish embryologist A. K. Tarkowski published the first work on mouse embryo manipulation during the early stages of development2. Additionally, molecular biologists developed techniques to generate DNA vectors (i.e., carriers) for the inter alia introduction of foreign DNA into the animal&#8217;s genome. These vectors allow the propagation of selected genes and their appropriate modification, depending on the type of research that is conducted. The term &#8220;transgenic animal&#8221; was introduced by Gordon and Ruddle3.
The first widely accepted species that was used in neurobiology, physiology, pharmacology, toxicology, and many other fields of biological and medical sciences was the Norway rat, Rattus norvegicus4. However, because of the difficulty in manipulating rat embryos, the house mouse Mus musculus has become the dominant animal species in genetic research5. Another reason for the primacy of the mouse in such research was the availability of embryonic stem cell technology to generate knockout animals for this species. The most commonly used technique of transgenesis (2&#8211;10% of transgenic offspring relative to all born animals) is the microinjection of DNA fragments into a pronucleus of a fertilized oocyte. In 1990, this approach, which was first introduced in mice, was adapted for rats6,7. Rat transgenesis by pronuclear injection is characterized by lower efficiency8 compared with mice, which is strictly related to the presence of elastic plasma and pronuclear membranes9. Although the survival of embryos after manipulation is 40&#8211;50% lower than in mice, this technique is considered a standard in the generation of genetically modified rats10. Alternative approaches that can guarantee efficient transgene incorporation and higher survival rates of injected zygotes have been investigated.
The key determinant of stable transgene expression and transmission to progeny is its integration into the host cell genome. Lentiviruses (LVs) have the distinctive feature of being able to infect both dividing and non-dividing cells. Their use as a tool for the incorporation of heterologous genes into embryos proved to be highly efficient11, and transgenic individuals are characterized by stable expression of the incorporated DNA fragment. The efficacy of lentiviral vectors has been confirmed for the genetic modification of mice12,13, rats12,14, and other species11. In this method, the LV suspension is injected under the zona pellucida of the embryo at the stage of two pronuclei. This technique essentially guarantees 100% survival of the embryos because the oolemma remains unaffected. The production of high-quality and relatively highly concentrated LV suspensions are crucial factors. However, lower concentrations of LV suspensions can be overcome by repeated injections11, which increases the amount of viral particles at the egg surface while not affecting membrane integration. Embryos that are subjected to repeated injections into the perivitelline space develop further, and transgenic offspring can transmit the transgene through the germline. The efficiency of transgenic rat generation by lentiviral transgenesis can be as high as 80%12.
Here, we describe the production of HIV-1-derived recombinant lentivirus that was pseudotyped with vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) G envelope protein. The use of the second-generation packaging system VSV pseudotype determines the wide infectivity of viral particles and allows the production of highly stable vectors that can be concentrated by ultracentrifugation and cryopreserved. After titer verification, the vectors are ready to be used as a vehicle for transgene delivery into albino Wistar rat zygotes. After a series of injections, the embryos can be cultured overnight and transferred at the two-cell stage to foster mothers. At this point, one of two alternative approaches can be considered. The standard procedure utilizes pseudopregnant females as embryo recipients. However, when the pregnancy rate is low after mating with vasectomized males, the embryos can be implanted into pregnant Wistar/Sprague-Dawley (SD) females that are mated with fertile male rats with a dark fur color (e.g., Brown Norway [BN] rats). The color of the fur allows the distinction of offspring from natural pregnancy from offspring that originate from the transferred manipulated embryos.

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	<tbody>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">7500 Real Time PCR System</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Applied Biosystems</td>
			<td style="width:354px;"></td>
			<td style="width:172px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">Aerrane (isoflurane)</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Baxter</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">FDG9623</td>
			<td style="width:172px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">Aspirator tube assemblies for calibrated microcapillary pipettes</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>A5177-5EA</td>
			<td style="width:172px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">Atipam 5 mg/ml</td>
			<td>Eurovet Animal Health BV</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>0.5 mg/kg</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">Baytril 25 mg/ml (enrofloksacin)</td>
			<td>Bayer</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>5-10 mg/kg</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">Borosilicate glass capillaries with filament GC100TF-15</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Harvard Apparatus Limited</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">30-0039</td>
			<td style="width:172px;">injection capillary</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">Bupivacaine 25 mg/ml</td>
			<td>Advanz Pharma</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>0.25% in&#160; 0.9% NaCl</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">Butomidor 10 mg/ml (butorphanol&#160; tartrate)</td>
			<td>Orion Pharma</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>1 mg/kg</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">CELLSTAR Tissue Cell Culture Dish 35-mm</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Greiner Bio-One</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">627160</td>
			<td style="width:172px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="49">
			<td height="49" style="height:49px;width:496px;">CELLSTAR Tissue Cell Culture Dish 60-mm</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Greiner Bio-One</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">628160</td>
			<td style="width:172px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">CellTram Oil</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Eppendorf</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">5176 000.025</td>
			<td style="width:172px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">Cepetor (Medetomidine) 1 mg/ml</td>
			<td>cp-pharma</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>0.5 mg/kg</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">Chorulon, Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin&#160;</td>
			<td>Intervet</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>150 IU/ ml ml 0.9% NaCl</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">DMEM low glucose</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">D6048</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">DNase, RNase-free</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">A&#38;A Biotechnology</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">1009-100</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">EmbryoMax Filtered Light Mineral Oil</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>ES-005-C</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">Envelope protein coding plasmid for lentiviral vectors (VSVg plasmid)&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">ADDGENE</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">14888</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">FemtoJet</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Eppendorf</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">4i /5252 000.013</td>
			<td style="width:172px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">Fetal Bovine Serum</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">F9665-500ML</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">Folligon, Pregnant Mare&#8217;s Serum Gonadotropin&#160;</td>
			<td>Intervet</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>125 IU/ml in .9% NaCl</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">HEK 293T cells&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">ATCC</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">ATCC CRL-3216</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">Hyaluronidase from Bovine Testis&#160;</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>H4272-30MG</td>
			<td>0.5 mg/ml in M2 medium</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">Inverted Microscope&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Zeiss</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">Axiovert 200</td>
			<td style="width:172px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">Ketamine 100mg/ml</td>
			<td>Biowet Pulawy</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>50 mg/kg</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">Liquid Paraffin</td>
			<td>Merck Millipore</td>
			<td>8042-47-5</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">M16 medium EmbryoMax</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>MR-016-D</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">M2 medium</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>M7167</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">Magnesium Chloride 1M</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">63069-100ML</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">Microforge</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Narishige</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">MF-900</td>
			<td style="width:172px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">Mineral Oil</td>
			<td>Sigma</td>
			<td>M8410-500ML</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">NaCl 0.9%</td>
			<td>POLPHARMA OTC</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>sterile, 5ml ampules</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">Operation microscope&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Inami Ophthalmic Instruments</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">Deca-21</td>
			<td style="width:172px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="34">
			<td height="34" style="height:35px;">Packaging system coding plasmid for lentiviral vectors&#160; (delta R8.2 plasmid)</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">ADDGENE</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">12263</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">PEI reagent (Polyethylenimine, Mw ~ 25,000,),</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Polysciences, Inc</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">23966-1</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">Penicilin-streptomycin</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">P0781-100ML</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">Phosphate Buffered Saline, pH 7.4, liquid, sterile-filtered, suitable for cell culture</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">806552-500ML</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">Puller&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Sutter Instrument Co.</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">P-97</td>
			<td style="width:172px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">Reflex Clip Applier/Reflex Clips</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">World Precision Instruments</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">500345/500346</td>
			<td style="width:172px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">Safil, polyglycolic acid, braided, coated, absorbable threads</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">B.Braun Surgical</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">1048029</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">Stereomicroscope</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Olympus</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">SZX16</td>
			<td style="width:172px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">Surgical Sewing Thread</td>
			<td>B.Braun&#160;</td>
			<td>C1048040</td>
			<td style="width:172px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">SYBR Green PCR Master Mix</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Applied Biosystem</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">4334973</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;">Tolfedine 4% (tolfenamic acid)</td>
			<td>Vetoquinol</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>2 mg/kg</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="40">
			<td height="40" style="height:40px;width:496px;">TransferMan NK2</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Eppendorf</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">N/A</td>
			<td style="width:172px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="19">
			<td height="19" style="height:19px;width:496px;">Trypsin EDTA solution</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Sigma Aldrich</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">T3924-500ML</td>
			<td></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="19">
			<td height="19" style="height:19px;width:496px;">Ultracentrifuge</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Beckman Coulter</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">Optima L-100 XP&#160;</td>
			<td style="width:172px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="19">
			<td height="19" style="height:19px;width:496px;">VacuTip</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Eppendorf</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">5175108.000</td>
			<td style="width:172px;">holders capillary</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="19">
			<td height="19" style="height:19px;">Vita-POS</td>
			<td>Ursapharm</td>
			<td>N/A</td>
			<td>eye ointment</td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="19">
			<td height="19" style="height:19px;width:496px;">Warming Plate</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">Semic</td>
			<td style="width:354px;">N/A</td>
			<td style="width:172px;"></td>
		</tr>
		<tr height="19">
			<td height="19" style="height:19px;">Watchmaker Forceps</td>
			<td style="width:186px;">VWR</td>
			<td>470018-868</td>
			<td style="width:172px;"></td>
		</tr>
	</tbody>
</table>

generation of transgenic rats using a lentiviral vector approach

Transgenic animal models are fundamentally important for modern biomedical research. The incorporation of foreign genes into early mouse or rat embryos is an invaluable tool for gene function analysis in living organisms. The standard transgenesis method is based on microinjecting foreign DNA fragments into a pronucleus of a fertilized oocyte. This technique is widely used in mice but remains relatively inefficient and technically demanding in other animal species. The transgene can also be introduced into one-cell-stage embryos via lentiviral infection, providing an effective alternative to standard pronuclear injections, especially in species or strains with a more challenging embryo structure. In this approach, a suspension that contains lentiviral vectors is injected into the perivitelline space of a fertilized rat embryo, which is technically less demanding and has a higher success rate. Lentiviral vectors were shown to efficiently incorporate the transgene into the genome to determine the generation of stable transgenic lines. Despite some limitations (e.g., Biosafety Level 2 requirements, DNA fragment size limits), lentiviral transgenesis is a rapid and efficient transgenesis method. Additionally, using female rats that are mated with a fertile male strain with a different dominant fur color is presented as an alternative to generate pseudopregnant foster mothers.

Using the protocol described herein, lentiviral vectors that carried the Syn-TDP-43-eGFP construct were produced (physical LV titer = 3.4 x 108/&#181;L) and then could be used for one-cell-stage embryo subzonal injections. Only embryos with two visible pronuclei were subjected to the procedure. The number of injections of viral suspensions was determined experimentally. High implantation efficiency and a simultaneous lack of transgenic offspring were considered indicators of an insufficient number of viral par...

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about Generation of Transgenic Rats using a Lentiviral Vector Approach at JoVE.com

Generation of Transgenic Rats using a Lentiviral Vector Approach

This article aims to provide the methodology for lentiviral transgenesis in rat embryos using multiple injections of a virus suspension into the zygote perivitelline space. Female rats that are mated with a fertile male strain with a different dominant fur color is used to generate pseudopregnant foster mothers.

Transgenic animal models are fundamentally important for modern biomedical research. The incorporation of foreign genes into early mouse or rat embryos is ...

Research

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Bioengineering

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