Free Standard AU & NZ Shipping For All Book Orders Over $80!
Register      Login
Animal Production Science Animal Production Science Society
Food, fibre and pharmaceuticals from animals
RESEARCH ARTICLE

Construction of Foot-and-mouth disease virus 2A-based bicistronic expression vector and coexpression of two genes in goat mammary epithelial cells

X. Q. Liu A , H. Y. Liu A , Q. J. Chen A , M. M. Yang A , H. Y. Xin A , L. Bai A , J. Y. Peng A , H. B. Zhao A and B. Y. Cao A B
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, P.R. China.

B Corresponding author. Email: caobinyun@yahoo.com.cn

Animal Production Science 53(4) 335-341 https://doi.org/10.1071/AN12235
Submitted: 26 April 2012  Accepted: 21 August 2012   Published: 14 January 2013

Abstract

Using animal mammary glands as bioreactors for producing commercially important proteins is a cutting-edge direction in the field of biotechnology development and application. Dairy goats are an important dairy livestock, with roughage-resistance, fast propagation, long lactation periods and high milk production per bodyweight; these characteristics make dairy goats ideal for use as mammary gland bioreactors. Foot-and-mouth disease virus 2A (FMDV 2A) is an efficient viral cleavage element that mediates proteolytic cleavage independent of the presence of other FMDV sequences. It is often incorporated into recombinant vectors to generate cleavage in the presence of heterologous sequences. To achieve specific co-expression of two heterologous genes in goat mammary gland epithelial (GMGE) cells, a mammary gland-specific bicistronic expression vector, pFIEβ, containing the β-casein 5′ flanking sequence and FMDV 2A, was successfully constructed and the specific expression of human interleukin 2 (hIL-2) and enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) was conducted in primary GMGE cells. Another bicistronic expression vector, pFIEC, driven by the cytomegalovirus promoter, was constructed as a positive control. In cells transfected with pFIEβ and pFIEC, RT-PCR verified the existence of recombinant fusion mRNA of hIL-2 upstream of EGFP within the FMDV 2A cassette fragment and western blot analysis showed the existence of the fusion between hIL-2 and EGFP. It is concluded that FMDV 2A generated specific co-expression of multiple genes for the first time in primary GMGE cells driven by the β-casein promoter.


References

Attal J, Théron MC, Houdebine LM (1999) The optimal use of IRES (internal ribosome entry site) in expression vectors. Genetic Analysis 15, 161–165.

Attal J, Théron MC, Rival S, Puissant C, Houdebine LM (2000) The efficiency of different IRESs (internal ribosomes entry site) in monocistronic mRNAS. Molecular Biology Reports 27, 21–26.
The efficiency of different IRESs (internal ribosomes entry site) in monocistronic mRNAS.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3cXlvVektrc%3D&md5=f4799d768b378c1dd35dd1e9b002dcd7CAS |

Balbás P (2001) Understanding the art of producing protein and nonprotein molecules in Escherichia coli. Molecular Biotechnology 19, 251–267.
Understanding the art of producing protein and nonprotein molecules in Escherichia coli.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Butt TR, Edavettal SC, Hall JP, Mattern MR (2005) SUMO fusion technology for difficult-to-express proteins. Protein Expression and Purification 43, 1–9.
SUMO fusion technology for difficult-to-express proteins.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2MXntVGhsbw%3D&md5=9c3472fe54974f4bf37a520bc12a56c2CAS |

Cheng T, Xu CY, Wang YB, Chen M, Wu T, Zhang J, Xia NS (2004) A rapid and efficient method to express target genes in mammalian cells by baculovirus. World Journal of Gastroenterology 10, 1612–1618.

Clark AJ (1998) Gene expression in the mammary glands of transgenic animals. Biochemical Society Symposium 63, 133–140.

Danielson KG, Oborn CJ, Durban EM, Butel JS, Medina D (1984) Epithelial mammary cell line exhibiting normal morphogenesis in vivo and functional differentiation in vitro. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 81, 3756–3760.
Epithelial mammary cell line exhibiting normal morphogenesis in vivo and functional differentiation in vitro.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaL2cXks12qu7g%3D&md5=c7b47b1b2b680d368c0d229eac917898CAS |

de Felipe P, Hughes LE, Ryan MD, Brown JD (2003) Co-translational, intraribosomal cleavage of polypeptides by the foot-and-mouth disease virus 2A peptide. The Journal of Biological Chemistry 278, 11441–11448.
Co-translational, intraribosomal cleavage of polypeptides by the foot-and-mouth disease virus 2A peptide.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3sXit1Kgt7s%3D&md5=162cd31f84944a6dbd502b20beb57052CAS |

Donnelly MLL, Gani D, Flint M, Monaghan S, Ryan MD (1997) The cleavage activities of aphthovirus and cardiovirus 2A proteins. The Journal of General Virology 78, 13–21.

Donnelly MLL, Luke G, Mehrotra A (2001a) Analysis of the aphthovirus 2A/2B polyprotein ‘cleavage’ mechanism indicates not a proteolytic reaction, but a novel translational effect: a putative ribosomal ‘skip’. The Journal of General Virology 82, 1013–1025.

Donnelly MLL, Hughes LE, Luke G, Mendoza H, ten Dam E, Gani D, Ryan MD (2001b) The ‘cleavage’ activities of foot-and-mouth disease virus 2A site-directed mutants and naturally occurring ‘2A-like’ sequences. The Journal of General Virology 82, 1027–1041.

Funston GM, Kallioinen SE, de Felipe P, Ryan MD, Iggo RD (2008) Expression of heterologous genes in oncolytic adenoviruses using picornaviral 2A sequences that trigger ribosome skipping. The Journal of General Virology 89, 389–396.
Expression of heterologous genes in oncolytic adenoviruses using picornaviral 2A sequences that trigger ribosome skipping.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXhvFaqsLY%3D&md5=11bfa725bb329f513d565fcebaef6387CAS |

Furler S, Paterna JC, Weibel M, Büeler H (2001) Recombinant AAV vectors containing the foot and mouth disease virus 2A sequence confer efficient bicistronic gene expression in cultured cells and rat substantia nigra neurons. Gene Therapy 8, 864–873.
Recombinant AAV vectors containing the foot and mouth disease virus 2A sequence confer efficient bicistronic gene expression in cultured cells and rat substantia nigra neurons.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3MXktFOrtro%3D&md5=646315102d6b9e71f5ae90585bc5e6e2CAS |

Groot Bramel-Verheije MH, Rottier PJ, Meulenberg JJ (2000) Expression of a foreign epitope by porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus. Virology 278, 380–389.
Expression of a foreign epitope by porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD3cXovVCms7w%3D&md5=121a645a9495aa38ae4c7651a5d37e9aCAS |

Halpin C, Cooke SE, Barakate A, El Amrani A, Ryan MD (1999) Self-processing 2A-polyproteins – a system for co-ordinate expression of multiple proteins in transgenic plants. The Plant Journal: For Cell and Molecular Biology 17, 453–459.
Self-processing 2A-polyproteins – a system for co-ordinate expression of multiple proteins in transgenic plants.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK1MXit1Ggsb0%3D&md5=90a1d178345a3226d8365ba22bd148e7CAS |

Hsiao EC, Yoshinaga Y, Nguyen TD, Musone SL, Kim JE, Swinton P, Espineda I, Manalac C, deJong PJ, Conklin BR (2008) Marking embryonic stem cells with a 2A self-cleaving peptide: a NKX2–5 emerald GFP BAC reporter. PLoS ONE 3, e2532
Marking embryonic stem cells with a 2A self-cleaving peptide: a NKX2–5 emerald GFP BAC reporter.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |

Kim JH, Lee SR, Li LH, Park HJ, Park JH, Lee KY, Kim MK, Shin BA, Choi SY (2011) High cleavage efficiency of a 2A peptide derived from porcine teschovirus-1 in human cell lines, zebrafish and mice. PLoS ONE 6, e18556
High cleavage efficiency of a 2A peptide derived from porcine teschovirus-1 in human cell lines, zebrafish and mice.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3MXlsl2gsbk%3D&md5=8942403b9f1f71ecc22084a6c843854aCAS |

Lee P, Chung HK, Lee HG, Lee HC, Woo JS, Lee S, Jo SJ, Chang WK, Lee HT, Kwon M, Park JK (2008) Cloning and characterization of 5′-untranslated region of porcine beta casein gene (CSN2). Domestic Animal Endocrinology 35, 245–253.
Cloning and characterization of 5′-untranslated region of porcine beta casein gene (CSN2).Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD1cXhtVKmtL3I&md5=105db20107e817c1b5b21c5f6c048eceCAS |

López de Quinto S, Martínez-Salas E (1998) Parameters in influencing translational efficiency in aphthovirus IRES-based bicistronic expression vectors. Gene 21, 751–756.

Mao YJ, Zhong GH, Zheng YC, Pen XW, Yang ZP, Wang Y, Jiang MF (2004) Genetic polymorphism of milk protein and their relationships with milking traits in Chinese yak. Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences 17, 1479–1483.

Mattion NM, Harnish EC, Crowley JC, Reilly PA (1996) Foot-and-mouth disease virus 2A protease mediates cleavage in attenuated sabin 3 poliovirus vectors engineered for delivery of foreign antigens. Journal of Virology 70, 8124–8127.

Mountford PS, Smith AG (1995) Internal ribosome entry site and dicistronic RNAs in mammalian transgenesis. Trends in Genetics 11, 179–184.
Internal ribosome entry site and dicistronic RNAs in mammalian transgenesis.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK2MXltlOrurg%3D&md5=ad22d83b3b646b72e88399ba32adfd91CAS |

Ngoi SM, Chien AC, Lee CG (2004) Exploiting internal ribosome entry sites in gene therapy vector design. Current Gene Therapy 4, 15–31.
Exploiting internal ribosome entry sites in gene therapy vector design.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BD2cXhvVCis74%3D&md5=c1598094343d68e09ab87773f7b6bf45CAS |

Osborn MJ, Panoskaltsis-Mortari A, McElmurry RT, Bell SK, Vignali DA, Ryan MD, Wilber AC, McIvor RS, Tolar J, Blazar BR (2005) A picornaviral 2A-like sequence-based tricistronic vector allowing for high-level therapeutic gene expression coupled to a dual-reporter system. Molecular Therapy: the Jouranl of the American Society of Gene Therapy 12, 569–574.

Pelletier J, Sonenberg N (1988) Internal initiation of translation of eukaryotic mRNA directed by a sequence derived from poliovirus RNA. Nature 334, 320–325.
Internal initiation of translation of eukaryotic mRNA directed by a sequence derived from poliovirus RNA.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaL1cXls1GrsLg%3D&md5=0175c2628d31340b5858686eb43d5730CAS |

Prescott M, Nowakowski S, Nagley P, Devenish RJ (1999) The length of polypeptide linker affects the stability of green fluorescent protein fusion proteins. Analytical Biochemistry 273, 305–307.
The length of polypeptide linker affects the stability of green fluorescent protein fusion proteins.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK1MXlsFyitL4%3D&md5=c07c491d9146c0cfac7ecc8fc59c129cCAS |

Sonenberg N (1994) mRNA translation: influence of the 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions. Current Opinion in Genetics & Development 4, 310–315.
mRNA translation: influence of the 5′ and 3′ untranslated regions.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK2MXns1Kq&md5=6952c74f6ea16d1b6d7704b7ab24334aCAS |

Tan YP, Liang HR, Chen AE, Gu XF (2010) Coexpression of double or triple copies of the rabies virus glycoprotein gene using a ‘self-cleaving’ 2A peptide-based replication-defective human adenovirus serotype 5 vector. Biologicals: Journal of the International Association of Biological Standardization 38, 586–593.

Torres V, Barra L, Garcés F, Ordenes K, Leal-Ortiz S, Garner CC, Fernandez F, Zamorano F (2010) A bicistronic lentiviral vector based on the 1D/2A sequence of foot-and-mouth disease virus expresses proteins stoichiometrically. Journal of Biotechnology 146, 138–142.
A bicistronic lentiviral vector based on the 1D/2A sequence of foot-and-mouth disease virus expresses proteins stoichiometrically.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DC%2BC3cXjs1eisrs%3D&md5=19105b4d0b5c236502a31269b31e4ddbCAS |

Velmala R, Vilkki J, Elo K, Maki-Tanila A (1995) Casein haplotypes and their association with milk production traits in the Finnish Ayrshire cattle. Animal Genetics 26, 419–425.
Casein haplotypes and their association with milk production traits in the Finnish Ayrshire cattle.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar | 1:CAS:528:DyaK28XhtFWnu7k%3D&md5=5f9bbe73d76df0ac4afbe6132b41798eCAS |