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Efficient production of germline transgenic chickens using lentiviral vectors
Author(s) -
McGrew Michael J,
Sherman Adrian,
Ellard Fiona M,
Lillico Simon G,
Gilhooley Hazel J,
Kingsman Alan J,
Mitrophanous Kyriacos A,
Sang Helen
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
embo reports
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.584
H-Index - 184
eISSN - 1469-3178
pISSN - 1469-221X
DOI - 10.1038/sj.embor.7400171
Subject(s) - transgene , germline , biology , vector (molecular biology) , gene silencing , viral vector , genetics , genetically modified organism , reporter gene , gene , expression cassette , computational biology , gene expression , recombinant dna
An effective method for genetic modification of chickens has yet to be developed. An efficient technology, enabling production of transgenic birds at high frequency and with reliable expression of transgenes, will have many applications, both in basic research and in biotechnology. We investigated the efficiency with which lentiviral vectors could transduce the chicken germ line and examined the expression of introduced reporter transgenes. Ten founder cockerels transmitted the vector to between 4% and 45% of their offspring and stable transmission to the G 2 generation was demonstrated. Analysis of expression of reporter gene constructs in several transgenic lines showed a conserved expression profile between individuals that was maintained after transmission through the germ line. These data demonstrate that lentiviral vectors can be used to generate transgenic lines with an efficiency in the order of 100‐fold higher than any previously published method, with no detectable silencing of transgene expression between generations.