Transgenesis in rats: technical aspects and models

The production of transgenic rats by DNA-microinjection into fertilized ova has now become an established procedure, although fewer than 20 lines have been described during the last 5 years. Overall, transgenic rats remain more difficult to produce than transgenic mice, but satisfactory yields have been obtained by several laboratories. A review of the methods used to generate transgenic rats shows considerable variation between different laboratories, particularly in choice of strain, superovulation protocols and the use of embryo culture before reimplantation. In some instances, the production of transgenic rats has provided data that are new and relevant, compared to data obtained in mice bearing the same transgene. Models have been developed for human diseases such as hypertension and autoimmunity, and applications have been found in the study of carcinogenesis and in pharmacological research. Transgenic rat technology also opens up interesting perspectives for transplantation research, in which microsurgery is an essential procedure. Intensive research is in progress in several laboratories to produce rat embryonic stem (ES) cell lines, but existing lines have not participated in germ line formation a prerequisite for their use in gene knock out experiments.

Inhibition of hepatitis B virus surface antigen gene expression in carcinogen-induced liver tumors from transgenic mice

We previously showed that hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-producing transgenic mice were more sensitive to hepatocarcinogens than their normal littermates were. We have now investigated the regulation of hepatitis B virus (HBV) gene expression in carcinogen-induced liver tumors of HBV-carrier transgenic mice and in three cell lines derived from tumor samples. Transcription of the S gene was repressed in 17 tumors even though they had normal levels of liver-specific mRNAs such as albumin and transferrin. Three hepatoma cell lines, derived from independent tumor samples, were analyzed for their capacity to express the S gene after transfection of cloned DNA. Although they no longer expressed the endogenous S gene, they were still able to express it from transfected viral DNA both transiently and stably. The loss of HBsAg expression in tumors and in the cell lines was accompanied by de novo methylation of the S region, which is a way to permanently repress gene expression. Our data confirm in an animal model previous observations of S-gene expression in human hepatocarcinoma and suggest a role for its downregulation in tumor progression.

Induction of anti-hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) antibodies in HBsAg producing transgenic mice: a possible way of circumventing "nonresponse" to HBsAg

As a model for studying possible mechanisms of nonresponse toward hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in hepatitis B virus (HBV) carriers, we used transgenic (Tg) mice which constitutively express this antigen in the liver from before birth. The mice secrete large amounts of HBsAg particles into the sera without producing antibodies. Tg and control mice were immunized with either recombinant HBsAg particles of a different subtype, or with recombinant hybrid HBsAg particles carrying a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) envelope determinant. The presence of determinants to which the mice are tolerant on the injected particles does not hamper the response to the foreign epitope. Moreover, a weak but significant anti-HBs response is clearly detectable in Tg mice immunized with these particles. Antibodies to epitopes carried by the transgenic antigen are made even after injection of homologous antigen, and a concomitant decrease in circulating HBsAg is observed. This immune response does not induce any liver damage. It was demonstrated that in these Tg mice, B cell self-tolerance toward HBsAg can be overcome by immunization. This phenomenon raises the possibility of designing more effective methods of immunotherapy for HBV carriers.

Chronic alcohol intoxication decreases the serum level of hepatitis B surface antigen in transgenic mice

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections with an unusual serological profile, viz. positivity of HBV-DNA in the absence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg), have been described in alcoholics. This atypical pattern could be due to a low circulating level of viral particles rendering HBsAg undetectable with commercial kits, whereas HBV-DNA remains positive using the highly sensitive hybridization technique. We hypothesize that the well-known alcohol-induced impairment of protein secretion could also concern HBsAg particles and leads to a decrease in serum levels of the HBs antigen. To verify this hypothesis, we used HBsAg-positive transgenic mice as an animal model. Twelve HBsAg+ mice were separated into two groups; one group (n = 6) was submitted to increasing alcoholisation over an 18-week period, while the other (n = 6) was water fed. Seven HBsAg- littermates acted as controls: three received the alcohol regimen and the remaining four water. Chronic excessive alcoholisation lead to a significant decrease in serum HBsAg concentrations, while there was no obvious change in liver S mRNA. Ultrastructural studies showed a significant decrease in the number of microtubules in the livers of alcohol-fed mice. Finally, immunohistochemical studies performed at the end of the experiment showed a greater accumulation of HBsAg in the livers of HBsAg+ alcohol-fed (mainly located in the centrilobular area) than in the HBsAg+ water-fed mice. Our results (i) validate our initial hypothesis that chronic alcohol abuse leads to a decrease in serum HBsAg concentrations. This could explain, in part at least, the serological dissociations which were observed. (ii) Confirm the utility of screening serum HBV-DNA in alcoholics.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Transgenic mice containing hepatitis B virus sequences are more susceptible to carcinogen-induced hepatocarcinogenesis

Transgenic mice containing one copy of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome without the core gene and expressing hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) were crossed with C3H/He mice. The F1 hybrids (approximately 50% HBV positive and approximately 50% HBV negative) were treated with a single dose of diethylnitrosamine (NDEA) or p-dimethylaminoazobenzene (DAB) given at 7 days of age, or were untreated. Mice were kept under observation without further treatments until 30 weeks old and then killed. Stereological analysis of liver nodules and estimations of their size distribution demonstrated a significative enhancing effect of HBV transgene in both NDEA- and DAB-induced hepatocarcinogenesis in male mice. Hepatocellular adenomas and carcinomas were also more frequent in NDEA-treated HBV-positive than HBV-negative male mice. Female mice showed a lower tumorigenic response than males without significant differences between groups of HBV-positive and HBV-negative mice. It is proposed that the presence of the transgene enhanced carcinogen-induced hepatocarcinogenesis.

Transcription of the S gene in transgenic mice is associated with hypomethylation at specific sites and with DNase I sensitivity

The methylation status of hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA was investigated in different organs from two strains of transgenic mice (E36 and E11) expressing the hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) gene specifically in the liver. Specific sites in the S gene were shown to be methylated in all the organs of adult mice except in the liver. These sites were methylated in 14-day-old fetal liver and were progressively demethylated during development and after birth. In one strain in which HBsAg expression is lost upon transmission by females, extensive de novo methylation of the transgene was detected in the livers and bodies of 14-day-old fetuses from transgenic females. The extent of methylation was such that activation of the gene was no longer possible. DNase I-hypersensitive sites were detected in the enhancer region of HBV in the liver of HBsAg-positive mice but not in HBsAg-negative progeny of E36 females. These data indicated that in two independent transgenic lines, HBV sequences are reproducibly activated in the developing liver along with cellular liver-specific genes and that transcription is associated with demethylation at specific sites in the S gene and with DNase hypersensitivity.

Replication and gene expression of hepatitis B virus in a transgenic mouse that contains the complete viral genome

We have sought to address the problem of the host and tissue specificity of the hepatitis B virus (HBV) by using transgenic mice obtained after injection of head-to-tail dimers of the HBV genome. Viral DNA replication and protein synthesis were obtained in one of nine transgenic mice containing integrated HBV DNA. The RNAs encoding the HBV surface antigen and the core antigen were synthesized in the liver, the kidney, and the heart. In these organs, DNA replicative intermediates similar to those found during normal infection were associated with corelike structures. Large amounts of core polypeptides and capsids were detected in the nuclei in the absence of any pathological effect. These results show that the different steps of HBV multiplication can take place in nonliver nonhuman cells once the problem of entry into the host cell is overcome. In the absence of a small laboratory animal infectable by HBV, such transgenic mice should be helpful for the study of many aspects of viral multiplication.

Maternal inhibition of hepatitis B surface antigen gene expression in transgenic mice correlates with de novo methylation

Differential modifications of the genome during gametogenesis result in a functional difference between the paternal and maternal genomes at the moment of fertilization. A possible cause of this imprinting is the methylation of DNA. The insertion of foreign DNA into transgenic mice allows the tagging of regions that are differentially methylated during gametogenesis. We describe here a transgenic mouse strain in which the expression of the hepatitis B surface antigen gene is irreversibly repressed following its passage through the female germ line. This inhibition is accompanied by the methylation of all the HpaII and HhaI sites within the foreign gene, which we have shown to be integrated into a site on chromosome 13. The irreversibility reported here contrasts with what is found with other transgenic mice sequences which are reversibly methylated after passage through the male or female germ line, though in both cases methylation appears to be important in the imprinting process.

Hepatitis B surface antigen gene expression is regulated by sex steroids and glucocorticoids in transgenic mice

We have investigated the basis for liver-specific and sex-linked expression of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) gene in transgenic mice by monitoring the level of liver HBsAg mRNA and serum HBsAg at different stages of development and in response to sex-hormone regulation. Transcription of the HBsAg gene starts at day 15 of development, together with that of the albumin gene, and reaches a comparable level at birth. HBsAg mRNA level and HBsAg production are parallel in males and females during prenatal development and until the first month of life, but HBsAg gene expression increases 5-10 times in males at puberty. After castration, the level of expression decreases dramatically in both males and females and is subsequently increased by injection of testosterone or estradiol. Glucocorticoids also regulated positively expression of the HBsAg gene. Our results suggest that sex hormones play a role in hepatitis B virus gene expression during natural infection and could explain the difference in incidence of chronic carriers between men and women.

Formation of the pool of covalently closed circular viral DNA in hepadnavirus-infected cells

Covalently closed circular (CCC) double-stranded DNA believed to be the transcriptional template for duck hepatitis B virus (DHBV) is amplified in aging primary cultures of hepatocytes from congenitally infected ducklings. Analysis of 5-bromodeoxyuridine-labeled heavy/light CCC DNA shows that the relaxed circular DNA synthesized in the cytoplasm by reverse transcription is the predominant precursor to the amplified pool of nuclear viral CCC DNA. In vitro infection of uninfected hepatocyte cultures with DHBV demonstrates that a similar 50-fold amplification of CCC DNA occurs during an early stage in the infection before virus production. This amplification allows the establishment of a pool of transcriptional templates in the cell without the need for semiconservative replication or multiple rounds of infection. This process may account for the ability of hepadnavirus-infected cells persistently to produce virus particles in the absence of stable integration of viral DNA.

Specific expression of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in transgenic mice

Two transgenic mice were obtained that contain in their chromosomes the complete hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome except for the core gene. These mice secrete particles of HBV surface antigen (HBsAg) in the serum. In one mouse, HBV DNA sequences that had integrated at two different sites were shown to segregate independently in the first filial generation (F1) and only one of the sequences allowed expression of the surface antigen. Among these animals the males produced five to ten times more HBsAg than the females. A 2.1-kilobase messenger RNA species comigrating with the major surface gene messenger RNA is expressed specifically in the liver in the two original mice. The results suggest that the HBV sequences introduced into the mice are able to confer a tissue-specific expression to the S gene. In addition, the HBV transgenic mice represent a new model for the chronic carrier state of hepatitis B virus infection.

The hepatitis B virus

DNA recombinant technology has radically changed hepatitis B virus (HBV) virology. The genetic organization, transcription and replication of the virus are basically understood, structures of integrated HBV sequences in hepatocellular carcinoma have been characterized, and new vaccines produced by recombinant DNA technique are being developed.

[Expression of hepatitis B virus (HBV) genome in the oocytes of two species of amphibians]

Xenopus laevis and Pleurodeles waltlii oocyte nuclei are injected with a recombinant plasmid pCP 10, carrying two hepatitis B virus (HBV) genomes in a tandem arrangement. Transcription occurs in oocytes of both species and production of viral RNAs is demonstrated; better quantitative results are obtained with P. waltlii oocytes. Two viral proteins are detected: Hepatitis B surface antigen (Ag HBs) and Hepatitis B core antigen (Ag HBc). These proteins can be shown only in oocyte homogenates, and not in the incubation media. Another viral marker (Ag HBe) was not detected.

Molecular comparison of virulence plasmids in Shigella and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli

Virulent isolates of Shigella dysenteriae and Shigella boydii harboured a 140 Mdal plasmid which was either absent or deleted in spontaneously avirulent strains. Together with previous data concerning S. sonnei, S. flexneri and enteroinvasive Escherichia coli, the present results established the general role of extrachromosomal elements in the virulence of such enteroinvasive species. Among different species, these virulence plasmids showed unrelated endonuclease cleavage patterns, whereas hybridization experiments showed that homologous sequences were present throughout the molecules. These plasmids may therefore have derived from a common ancestor molecule which overcame evolutionary alterations in restriction sites. Furthermore, intraspecies and intraserotype comparison of these plasmids by endonuclease cleavage demonstrated highly conserved sequences. The consequences of these data for evolution, epidemiology and diagnosis of Shigella and enteroinvasive E. coli are discussed.

Transcription of the hepatitis B surface antigen gene in mouse cells transformed with cloned viral DNA

Mouse L cells transformed with recombinant plasmids carrying hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA fragments were used to study the transcription of the viral surface antigen gene (gene S). An HBV-specific, polyadenylated, 2.3-kilobase RNA was mapped on the HBV genome. This RNA hybridized with approximately 75% of the genome and excluded the region of the HBV core antigen gene (gene C). The 2.3-kilobase RNA species was present only in cell lines that produced hepatitis B surface antigen. An HBV-specific 2.3-kilobase RNA was also detected in human hepatoma cell line PLC/PRF/5 which produced hepatitis B surface antigen. A study of gene S expression in the transformed mouse L cells allowed us to localize the regions of initiation and termination of gene S transcription. Our results strongly suggest that the 2.3-kilobase RNA molecule is the mRNA of the major polypeptide of the envelope, which carries the viral surface antigen determinants.

Excretion of hepatitis B surface antigen particles from mouse cells transformed with cloned viral DNA

A plasmid containing two cloned hepatitis B virus genomes in a tandem head-to-tail arrangement has been introduced into mouse fibroblasts by using cotransformation with the cloned herpes simplex virus thymidine kinase gene. Several copies of the plasmid were integrated into high molecular weight cellular DNA. The original tandem structure of the hepatitis B virus DNA was conserved. Hepatitis B surface antigen was synthesized by all the 15 clones examined. The other viral antigens were not detected. The surface antigen was excreted into the cell culture medium as particles having the same characteristics as those found in human serum. It is estimated that 2-4 X 10(4) particles were produced per mouse cell per 24 hr in two clones. This value corresponds to approximately 2-4 X 10(6) surface antigen polypeptides per cell per 24 hr.

Presence of integrated hepatitis B virus DNA sequences in cellular DNA of human hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) may be one of the agents involved in the aetiology of human primary liver cancer. This hypothesis is supported by (1) the similarity between the geographical distribution of chronic carriers of the viral surface antigen (HBsAg) and that of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); (2) the increase in the prevalence of HBV markers in serum of patients with primary liver cancer when compared with the general population; (3) the observation that HBV infection precedes the development of the tumour. Moreover, these epidemiological indications of an association between HBV infecton and hepatocellular carcinoma are supported by the detection of HBV markers such as HBsAg or viral DNA sequences, although in a non-integrated form in tumour tissue. To study the relationship between HBV and primary liver cancer further, we looked for the presence of free or integrated viral DNA in tumour tissue of human hepatocellular carcinomas and in a HBsAg-producing human hepatoma cell line. Using the blot-transfer hybridization technique and cloned HBV DNA as a probe, we have now demonstrated that the viral DNA is integrated in the cellular genome both in tumour tissue and in a hepatoma cell line.

Cloning in Escherichia coli and physical structure of hepatitis B virion DNA

A restriction map of hepatitis B virion DNA was established after cloning of the whole viral genome in Escherichia coli. By use of EcoRI, Xho I, Bgl II, Xba I, BamHI, HincII, and Hae III endonucleases, a total of 28 restriction sites were mapped. The single-stranded region was localized on the restriction map and 5' end of the short strand was mapped at a fixed position.