Open AccessRetroviral-mediated gene transfer and expression of human phenylalanine hydroxylase in primary mouse hepatocytes.
Author(s) -
Hong Peng,
Donna Armentano,
Leslie MacKenzie-Graham,
Rong-Fong Shen,
Gretchen Darlington,
Fred D. Ledley,
Savio L. C. Woo
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.85.21.8146
Subject(s) - phenylalanine hydroxylase , microbiology and biotechnology , complementary dna , biology , gene , gene expression , recombinant dna , phenylalanine , transcription (linguistics) , provirus , biochemistry , amino acid , linguistics , philosophy , genome
Genetic therapy for phenylketonuria (severe phenylalanine hydroxylase deficiency) may require introduction of a normal phenylalanine hydroxylase gene into hepatic cells of patients. We report development of a recombinant retrovirus based on the N2 vector for gene transfer and expression of human phenylalanine hydroxylase cDNA in primary mouse hepatocytes. This construct contains an internal promoter of the human alpha 1-antitrypsin gene driving transcription of the phenylalanine hydroxylase cDNA. Primary mouse hepatocytes were isolated from newborn mice, infected with the recombinant virus, and selected for expression of the neomycin-resistance gene. Hepatocytes transformed with the recombinant virus contained high levels of human phenylalanine hydroxylase mRNA transcripts originating form the retroviral and internal promoters. These results demonstrate that the transcriptional regulatory elements of the alpha 1-antitrypsin gene retain their tissue-specific function in the recombinant provirus and establish a method for efficient transfer and high-level expression of human phenylalanine hydroxylase in primary hepatocytes.