1
|
Moradbeigi P, Hosseini S, Salehi M, Mogheiseh A. Methyl β-Cyclodextrin-sperm-mediated gene editing (MBCD-SMGE): a simple and efficient method for targeted mutant mouse production. Biol Proced Online 2024; 26:3. [PMID: 38279106 PMCID: PMC10811837 DOI: 10.1186/s12575-024-00230-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 01/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Generating targeted mutant mice is a crucial technology in biomedical research. This study focuses on optimizing the CRISPR/Cas9 system uptake into sperm cells using the methyl β-cyclodextrin-sperm-mediated gene transfer (MBCD-SMGT) technique to generate targeted mutant blastocysts and mice efficiently. Additionally, the present study elucidates the roles of cholesterol and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the exogenous DNA uptake by sperm. RESULTS In this study, B6D2F1 mouse sperm were incubated in the c-TYH medium with different concentrations of MBCD (0, 0.75, 1, and 2 mM) in the presence of 20 ng/µl pCAG-eCas9-GFP-U6-gRNA (pgRNA-Cas9) for 30 min. Functional parameters, extracellular ROS, and the copy numbers of internalized plasmid per sperm cell were evaluated. Subsequently, in vitro fertilization (IVF) was performed and fertilization rate, early embryonic development, and transfection rate were assessed. Finally, our study investigated the potential of the MBCD-SMGT technique in combination with the CRISPR-Cas9 system, referred to as MBCD-SMGE (MBCD-sperm-mediated gene editing), for generating targeted mutant blastocysts and mice. Results indicated that cholesterol removal from the sperm membrane using MBCD resulted in a premature acrosomal reaction, an increase in extracellular ROS levels, and a dose-dependent influence on the copy numbers of the internalized plasmids per sperm cell. Moreover, the MBCD-SMGT technique led to a larger population of transfected motile sperm and a higher production rate of GFP-positive blastocysts. Additionally, the current study validated the targeted indel in blastocyst and mouse derived from MBCD-SMGE technique. CONCLUSION Overall, this study highlights the significant potential of the MBCD-SMGE technique for generating targeted mutant mice. It holds enormous promise for modeling human diseases and improving desirable traits in animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Parisa Moradbeigi
- Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, P. O. Box: 7144169155, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Sara Hosseini
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box: 193954717, Tehran, Iran
- Hasti Noavaran Gene Royan Co, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Salehi
- Cellular and Molecular Biology Research Center, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, P.O. Box: 193954717, Tehran, Iran.
- Department of Biotechnology, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Asghar Mogheiseh
- Department of Clinical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Shiraz University, P. O. Box: 7144169155, Shiraz, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Dehdilani N, Taemeh SY, Goshayeshi L, Dehghani H. Genetically engineered birds; pre-CRISPR and CRISPR era. Biol Reprod 2021; 106:24-46. [PMID: 34668968 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioab196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 10/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Generating biopharmaceuticals in genetically engineered bioreactors continues to reign supreme. Hence, genetically engineered birds have attracted considerable attention from the biopharmaceutical industry. Fairly recent genome engineering methods have made genome manipulation an easy and affordable task. In this review, we first provide a broad overview of the approaches and main impediments ahead of generating efficient and reliable genetically engineered birds, and various factors that affect the fate of a transgene. This section provides an essential background for the rest of the review, in which we discuss and compare different genome manipulation methods in the pre-CRISPR and CRISPR era in the field of avian genome engineering.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nima Dehdilani
- Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Research Group, Research Institute of Biotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Sara Yousefi Taemeh
- Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Research Group, Research Institute of Biotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Lena Goshayeshi
- Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Research Group, Research Institute of Biotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Hesam Dehghani
- Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine Research Group, Research Institute of Biotechnology, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.,Division of Biotechnology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.,Department of Basic Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Jafarnejad A, Zandi M, Aminafshar M, Sanjabi MR, Emamjomeh Kashan N. Evaluating bovine sperm transfection using a high-performance polymer reagent and assessing the fertilizing capacity of transfected spermatozoa using an in vitro fertilization technique. Arch Anim Breed 2018. [DOI: 10.5194/aab-61-351-2018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract. Sperm-mediated gene transfer (SMGT) has been considered as an innovative
device for transgenesis on a mass scale by taking advantage of live
spermatozoa to transfer exogenous DNA. However, the fertilizing ability of
transfected sperm cells and the poor reproducibility of this method are still
matters of controversy. Hence, the current study was conducted to evaluate
transfecting the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) as the source of
exogenous DNA into bovine spermatozoa using a high-performance polymer
reagent as well as assessing the fertilizing capacity of transfected sperm
cells by in vitro fertilization (IVF). In the first experiment, three
different concentrations of rhodamine-labeled DNA and high-performance
polymer transfection reagent, X-tremeGENE HP, were used to transfect bovine
spermatozoa. In the second experiment, IVF and fluorescence microscopy
methods were utilized to assess the fertilizing capacity of sperm cells
carrying exogenous DNA when X-tremeGENE HP was used either alone or with
dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) treatment. Findings revealed that at 1 µL
X-tremeGENE HP and 1 µg of DNA concentration, approximately
one-third of total spermatozoa were transfected. However, following IVF and
fluorescence microscopy, no EGFP expression was detected in zygotes and
morula-stage embryos. Results of this study showed that, although X-tremeGENE
HP could transfer EGFP to bovine spermatozoa, transfected sperm cells were
unable to transfer foreign DNA to matured bovine oocytes. Under our
experimental conditions, we hypothesized that the absence of the EGFP
fluorescence signal in embryos could be due to the detrimental effects of
transfection treatments on sperm cells' fertility performance as well as
incompetency of IVF to produce transgenic embryos using transfected sperm
cells.
Collapse
|
4
|
Effect of transfection and co-incubation of bovine sperm with exogenous DNA on sperm quality and functional parameters for its use in sperm-mediated gene transfer. ZYGOTE 2016; 25:85-97. [PMID: 27928970 DOI: 10.1017/s096719941600037x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Sperm-mediated gene transfer (SMGT) is based on the capacity of sperm to bind exogenous DNA and transfer it into the oocyte during fertilization. In bovines, the progress of this technology has been slow due to the poor reproducibility and efficiency of the production of transgenic embryos. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of different sperm transfection systems on the quality and functional parameters of sperm. Additionally, the ability of sperm to bind and incorporate exogenous DNA was assessed. These analyses were carried out by flow cytometry and confocal fluorescence microscopy, and motility parameters were also evaluated by computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA). Transfection was carried out using complexes of plasmid DNA with Lipofectamine, SuperFect and TurboFect for 0.5, 1, 2 or 4 h. The results showed that all of the transfection treatments promoted sperm binding and incorporation of exogenous DNA, similar to sperm incorporation of DNA alone, without affecting the viability. Nevertheless, the treatments and incubation times significantly affected the motility parameters, although no effect on the integrity of DNA or the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was observed. Additionally, we observed that transfection using SuperFect and TurboFect negatively affected the acrosome integrity, and TurboFect affected the mitochondrial membrane potential of sperm. In conclusion, we demonstrated binding and incorporation of exogenous DNA by sperm after transfection and confirmed the capacity of sperm to spontaneously incorporate exogenous DNA. These findings will allow the establishment of the most appropriate method [intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF)] of generating transgenic embryos via SMGT based on the fertilization capacity of transfected sperm.
Collapse
|
5
|
Sato M, Ohtsuka M, Watanabe S, Gurumurthy CB. Nucleic acids delivery methods for genome editing in zygotes and embryos: the old, the new, and the old-new. Biol Direct 2016; 11:16. [PMID: 27037013 PMCID: PMC4815204 DOI: 10.1186/s13062-016-0115-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2015] [Accepted: 03/15/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
In the recent years, sequence-specific nucleases such as ZFNs, TALENs, and CRISPR/Cas9 have revolutionzed the fields of animal genome editing and transgenesis. However, these new techniques require microinjection to deliver nucleic acids into embryos to generate gene-modified animals. Microinjection is a delicate procedure that requires sophisticated equipment and highly trained and experienced technicians. Though over a dozen alternate approaches for nucleic acid delivery into embryos were attempted during the pre-CRISPR era, none of them became routinely used as microinjection. The addition of CRISPR/Cas9 to the genome editing toolbox has propelled the search for novel delivery approaches that can obviate the need for microinjection. Indeed, some groups have recently developed electroporation-based methods that have the potential to radically change animal transgenesis. This review provides an overview of the old and new delivery methods, and discusses various strategies that were attempted during the last three decades. In addition, several of the methods are re-evaluated with respect to their suitability to deliver genome editing components, particularly CRISPR/Cas9, to embryos.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masahiro Sato
- Section of Gene Expression Regulation, Frontier Science Research Center, Kagoshima University, 8-35-1 Sakuragaoka, Kagoshima, Kagoshima, 890-8544 Japan
| | - Masato Ohtsuka
- Division of Basic Molecular Science and Molecular Medicine, School of Medicine, Tokai University, Kanagawa, 259 1193 Japan
| | - Satoshi Watanabe
- Animal Genome Research Unit, Division of Animal Science, National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences, Ibaraki, 305-8602 Japan
| | - Channabasavaiah B. Gurumurthy
- Developmental Neuroscience, Munroe-Meyer Institute, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198 USA
- Mouse Genome Engineering Core Facility, University of Nebraska Medical Center, Omaha, NE 68198 USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Moreira PN, Montoliu L. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)-mediated transgenesis in mice. Methods Mol Biol 2014; 1194:141-156. [PMID: 25064101 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4939-1215-5_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Over the years many well-described techniques for the introduction of transgene DNA into host organisms have been used, including pronuclear injection, in vitro fertilization-mediated transgenesis, transfection of ES and spermatogenic cells, nuclear transfer of somatic cell nuclei, and lentiviral vectors. The application of these techniques has been limited however either by the time and effort to be executed or by their narrow efficiency with large transgenes. The greatest advantage of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)-mediated transgenesis is precisely its ability to stably introduce large DNA molecules into the genome of host organisms with relatively high efficiency, as compared to alternative procedures. In mice, this procedure has been shown to be a reproducible method to generate transgenic offspring with a high efficiency. Recently, it proved also to be a viable method to generate transgenic rats and pigs, and as such, it is foreseen with great interest for the production of transgenic farm animals, where it would constitute an important tool for the production of recombinant proteins and livestock improvement.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pedro N Moreira
- Mouse Biology Unit, EMBL Monterotondo, Adriano Buzzati-Traverso Campus, Via Ramarini 32, 00015, Monterotondo, Italy,
| | | |
Collapse
|
7
|
Osada T, Rydén AM, Masutani M. Poly(ADP-ribosylation) regulates chromatin organization through histone H3 modification and DNA methylation of the first cell cycle of mouse embryos. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2013; 434:15-21. [PMID: 23548571 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2013.03.074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2013] [Accepted: 03/24/2013] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
We examined the roles of poly(ADP-ribosylation) in chromatin remodeling during the first cell cycle of mouse embryos. Drug-based inhibition of poly(ADP-ribosylation) by a PARP inhibitor, PJ-34, revealed up-regulation of dimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 4 in male pronuclei and down-regulation of dimethylation of histone H3 at lysine 9 (H3K9) and lysine 27 (H3K27). Association of poly(ADP-ribosylation) with histone modification was suggested to be supported by the interaction of Suz12, a histone methyltransferase in the polycomb complex, with Parp1. PARP activity was suggested to be required for a proper localization and maintenance of Suz12 on chromosomes. Notably, DNA methylation level of female pronuclei in one-cell embryos was robustly decreased by PJ-34. Electron microscopic analysis showed a frequent appearance of unusual electron-dense areas within the female pronuclei, implying the disorganized and hypercondensed chromatin ultrastructure. These results show that poly(ADP-ribosylation) is important for the integrity of non-equivalent epigenetic dynamics of pronuclei during the first cell cycle of mouse embryos.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tomoharu Osada
- Advanced Medical Science Research Department, Mitsubishi Chemical Medience Corporation, 14-1 Sunayama, Kamisu-shi, Ibaragi 314-0255, Japan.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
8
|
Sim BW, Cha JJ, Song BS, Kim JS, Yoon SB, Choi SA, Jeong KJ, Kim YH, Huh JW, Lee SR, Kim SH, Lee CS, Kim SU, Chang KT. Efficient production of transgenic mice by intracytoplasmic injection of streptolysin-O-treated spermatozoa. Mol Reprod Dev 2013; 80:233-41. [PMID: 23359330 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2012] [Accepted: 01/22/2013] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Many methods for efficient production of transgenic animals for biomedical research have been developed. Despite great improvements in transgenesis rates resulting from the use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), the ICSI-based sperm-mediated gene-transfer (iSMGT) technique is still not optimal in terms of sperm permeabilization efficiency and subsequent development. Here, we demonstrate that streptolysin-O (SLO) can efficiently permeabilize mouse spermatozoa, leading to improved developmental competence and high transgenesis rates in iSMGT embryos and pups. In particular, the most efficient production of iSMGT-transgenic embryos resulted from pretreatment with 5 U/ml SLO for 30 min and co-incubation with 1.0 ng/µl of an EGFP expression vector. By incubating spermatozoa with Cy-3-labelled DNA, we found that fluorescence intensity was prominently detected in the head region of SLO-treated spermatozoa. In addition, blastocyst development rate and blastomere survival were greatly improved by iSMGT using SLO-treated spermatozoa (iSMGT-SLO) as compared to freeze-thawed spermatozoa. Consistent with this, a high proportion of transgenic offspring was obtained by iSMGT-SLO after transfer into foster mothers, reaching 10.6% of the number of oocytes used (42.3% among pups). Together with successful germline transmission of transgenes in all founders analyzed, our data strongly suggest that SLO makes spermatozoa amenable to exogenous DNA uptake, and that the iSMGT-SLO technique is an efficient method for production of transgenic animals for biomedical research.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Bo-Woong Sim
- National Primate Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Chungcheongbuk-do, Republic of Korea
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
9
|
Eghbalsaied S, Ghaedi K, Laible G, Hosseini SM, Forouzanfar M, Hajian M, Oback F, Nasr-Esfahani MH, Oback B. Exposure to DNA is insufficient for in vitro transgenesis of live bovine sperm and embryos. Reproduction 2013; 145:97-108. [DOI: 10.1530/rep-12-0340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Transgenic mammals have been produced using sperm as vectors for exogenous DNA (sperm-mediated gene transfer (SMGT)) in combination with artificial insemination. Our study evaluated whether SMGT could also be achieved in combination with IVF to efficiently produce transgenic bovine embryos. We assessed binding and uptake of fluorescently labelled plasmids into sperm in the presence of different concentrations of dimethyl sulphoxide or lipofectamine. Live motile sperm displayed a characteristic punctuate fluorescence pattern across their entire surface, while uniform postacrosomal fluorescence was only apparent in dead sperm. Association with sperm or lipofection reagent protected exogenous DNA from DNase I digestion. Following IVF, presence and expression of episomal and non-episomal green fluorescent protein (GFP)-reporter plasmids was monitored in oocytes and embryos. We found no evidence of intracellular plasmid uptake and none of the resulting zygotes (n=96) and blastocysts were GFP positive by fluorescence microscopy or genomic PCR (n=751). When individual zona-free oocytes were matured, fertilised and continuously cultured in the presence of episomal reporter plasmids until the blastocyst stage, most embryos (38/68=56%) were associated with the exogenous DNA. Using anti-GFP immunocytochemistry (n=48) or GFP fluorescence (n=94), no GFP expression was detected in blastocysts. By contrast, ICSI resulted in 18% of embryos expressing the GFP reporter. In summary, exposure to DNA was an inefficient technique to produce transgenic bovine sperm or blastocysts in vitro.
Collapse
|
10
|
Umeyama K, Saito H, Kurome M, Matsunari H, Watanabe M, Nakauchi H, Nagashima H. Characterization of the ICSI-mediated gene transfer method in the production of transgenic pigs. Mol Reprod Dev 2011; 79:218-28. [PMID: 22213433 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.22015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2011] [Accepted: 12/07/2011] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the behavior of transgenes introduced into oocytes or embryos is essential for evaluating the methodologies for transgenic animal production. We investigated the expression pattern of a transgene transferred to porcine eggs by intracytoplasmic sperm injection-mediated gene transfer (ICSI-MGT) or pronuclear microinjection (PN injection). The introduction of the EGFP gene by ICSI-MGT yielded significantly more embryos with non-mosaic transgene expression (P < 0.01). In the ICSI-MGT group, 61.5% (24/39) of the embryos were EGFP-positive in all their component blastomeres at the morula stage, while fewer than 10% of such embryos were EGFP-positive in the PN-injection group. Using three types of transgenes, ranging from 3.0 to 7.5 kb in size, we confirmed that approximately one in four fetuses obtained by ICSI-MGT was transgenic, suggesting that ICSI-MGT is a practical method for transgenic pig production. Southern blot analysis of 12 transgenic fetuses produced by ICSI-MGT revealed that the number of integrated transgene copies varied from 1 to 300, with no correlation between transgene size and the number of integrated copies. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis revealed that the transgenes were randomly integrated into a single site on the host chromosomes. Together, these data indicate that multiple-copy, single-site integration of a transgene is the primary outcome of ICSI-MGT in the pig and that ICSI-MGT is less likely than PN injection to cause transgene integration in a mosaic manner.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kazuhiro Umeyama
- Laboratory of Developmental Engineering, Department of Life Sciences, School of Agriculture, Meiji University, Tama, Kawasaki, Kanagawa, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
11
|
Watanabe M, Kurome M, Matsunari H, Nakano K, Umeyema K, Shiota A, Nakauchi H, Nagashima H. The creation of transgenic pigs expressing human proteins using BAC-derived, full-length genes and intracytoplasmic sperm injection-mediated gene transfer. Transgenic Res 2011; 21:605-18. [PMID: 22038447 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-011-9561-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2011] [Accepted: 09/16/2011] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
In most transgenic (Tg) animals created to date, a transgene consisting of the minimum promoter region linked to a cDNA has been used. However, transgenes on small plasmids are susceptible to the position effect, increasing the difficulty of controlling transgene expression. In this study, we attempted to create Tg pigs by intracytoplasmic sperm injection-mediated gene transfer (ICSI-MGT) using two large genomic transgenes derived from a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) containing the full genomic region encoding two human proteins, type I collagen and albumin. The production efficiencies (Tg piglets/live offspring) of type I collagen and albumin Tg pigs were 11.8% (6/51) and 18.2% (2/11), respectively. In all of the Tg pigs examined by real-time PCR analysis, tissue-specific expression of the transgene was confirmed (type I collagen: skin, tendon, vessels, genitalia; albumin: liver). The production of human proteins derived from BAC transgenes was also confirmed. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis indicated that the BAC transgenes transferred into porcine oocytes by ICSI-MGT were integrated into single or multiple sites on the host chromosomes. These data demonstrate that Tg pigs expressing human proteins in a tissue-specific manner can be created using a BAC transgenic construct and the ICSI-MGT method.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Masahito Watanabe
- Nakauchi Stem Cell and Organ Regeneration Project, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), ERATO, 4-6-1 Shirokanedai, Minato-ku, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Abstract
Assisted reproductive technologies (ART) have revolutionized the treatment of infertility. However, many types of infertility may still not be addressable by ART. With recent successes in identifying many of the genetic factors responsible for male infertility and the future prospect of whole individual human genome sequencing to identify disease causing genes, the possible use of gene therapy for treating infertility deserves serious consideration. Gene therapy in the sperm and testis offers both opportunities and obstacles. The opportunities stem from the fact that numerous different approaches have been developed for introducing transgenes into the sperm and testis, mainly because of the interest in using sperm mediated gene transfer and testis mediated gene transfer as ways to generate transgenic animals. The obstacles arise from the fact that it may be very difficult to carry out gene therapy of the testis and sperm without also affecting the germline. Here we consider new developments in both sperm and testis mediated gene transfer, including the use of viral vectors, as well as the technical and ethical challenges facing those who would seek to use these approaches for gene therapy as a way to treat male infertility.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John Parrington
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
13
|
PolyADP-ribosylation is required for pronuclear fusion during postfertilization in mice. PLoS One 2010; 5. [PMID: 20824066 PMCID: PMC2932744 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2010] [Accepted: 07/27/2010] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background During fertilization, pronuclear envelope breakdown (PNEB) is followed by the mingling of male and female genomes. Dynamic chromatin and protein rearrangements require posttranslational modification (PTM) for the postfertilization development. Methodology/Principal Findings Inhibition of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase activity (PARylation) by either PJ-34 or 5-AIQ resulted in developmental arrest of fertilized embryos at the PNEB. PARylation inhibition affects spindle bundle formation and phosphorylation of Erk molecules of metaphase II (MII) unfertilized oocytes. We found a frequent appearance of multiple pronuclei (PN) in the PARylation-inhibited embryos, suggesting defective polymerization of tubulins. Attenuated phosphorylation of lamin A/C by PARylation was detected in the PARylation-inhibited embryos at PNEB. This was associated with sustained localization of heterodomain protein 1 (HP1) at the PN of the one-cell embryos arrested by PARylation inhibition. Conclusions/Significance Our findings indicate that PARylation is required for pronuclear fusion during postfertilization processes. These data further suggest that PARylation regulates protein dynamics essential for the beginning of mouse zygotic development. PARylation and its involving signal-pathways may represent potential targets as contraceptives.
Collapse
|
14
|
Abstract
The objective of this study was to test if intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)-mediated gene transfer was an effective method in the production of transgenic rabbit embryos. Rabbit sperm diluted in different media with various pH were treated by freezing without cryoprotectant, and their ability for DNA uptake was determined. In these experiments using production of transgenic rabbit embryos by ICSI, exogenous genes at three concentrations and of two conformation types were used. The rate of DNA association to the sperm seen by rhodamine-tagged DNA encoding green fluorescent protein (GFP) was 90.0%, 92.7%, 91.0%, 91.7%, and 92.3%, respectively in TCM199, DM, DPBS, CZB, and HCZB media. The DNA attachment to sperm was not affected by media pH within the range of 5.4-9.4 (p > 0.05). Expression of GFP first occurred at the 2-cell stage and continued to blastocyst formation. DNA concentration (between 5, 10, and 20 ng/μl) or conformation (linear and circular) had no effect on the production rate of transgenic embryos. These results indicated that genetically modified rabbit blastocysts can be efficiently produced by ICSI technique.
Collapse
|
15
|
Suster ML, Sumiyama K, Kawakami K. Transposon-mediated BAC transgenesis in zebrafish and mice. BMC Genomics 2009; 10:477. [PMID: 19832998 PMCID: PMC2768751 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2164-10-477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 114] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2009] [Accepted: 10/16/2009] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Bacterial artificial chromosomes (BACs) are among the most widely used tools for studies of gene regulation and function in model vertebrates, yet methods for predictable delivery of BAC transgenes to the genome are currently limited. This is because BAC transgenes are usually microinjected as naked DNA into fertilized eggs and are known to integrate as multi-copy concatamers in the genome. Although conventional methods for BAC transgenesis have been very fruitful, complementary methods for generating single copy BAC integrations would be desirable for many applications. RESULTS We took advantage of the precise cut-and-paste behavior of a natural transposon, Tol2, to develop a new method for BAC transgenesis. In this new method, the minimal sequences of the Tol2 transposon were used to deliver precisely single copies of a approximately 70 kb BAC transgene to the zebrafish and mouse genomes. We mapped the BAC insertion sites in the genome by standard PCR methods and confirmed transposase-mediated integrations. CONCLUSION The Tol2 transposon has a surprisingly large cargo capacity that can be harnessed for BAC transgenesis. The precise delivery of single-copy BAC transgenes by Tol2 represents a useful complement to conventional BAC transgenesis, and could aid greatly in the production of transgenic fish and mice for genomics projects, especially those in which single-copy integrations are desired.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maximiliano L Suster
- Division of Molecular and Developmental Biology, National Institute of Genetics, Mishima, Shizuoka 411-8540, Japan.
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
16
|
Li C, Mizutani E, Ono T, Wakayama T. An efficient method for generating transgenic mice using NaOH-treated spermatozoa. Biol Reprod 2009; 82:331-40. [PMID: 19812303 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.109.078501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Transgenic (Tg) animals are widely used in researching the characteristics of exogenous genes. Intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI)-mediated transgenesis (ICSI-Tr) has been a useful method for generating Tg animals, especially in the mouse. However, the original methods using freeze-thawed spermatozoa showed severe chromosomal damage and low offspring rates after embryo transfer. Herein, we describe an improved method to generate Tg mice efficiently using a simple pretreatment of spermatozoa with 10 mM NaOH. These spermatozoa lost their plasma membrane and tail, while still maintaining nuclear integrity. Sperm heads were mixed with 0.5-5 ng/microl of the transgene for enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) for 3 min to 1 h at room temperature and were then microinjected into oocytes by ICSI. The best results were obtained when treated spermatozoa were incubated with 2 ng/microl of EGFP for 10 min; 55.6% of injected embryos developed to the blastocyst stage, and more than half (56.9%) of them displayed EGFP fluorescence. Under these conditions, 12 pups of 34 offspring were positive for the transgene after transfer at the 2-cell stage into pseudopregnant recipient mice (a high rate [10.2%] from manipulated embryos). This method was found to be suitable for hybrid and inbred strains of mouse such as C57BL/6 and 129X1/Sv. Thus, a simple sperm pretreatment with NaOH before ICSI-Tr resulted in an efficient insertion of an exogenous gene into the host genome. This method allows for easy production of Tg mice, requiring fewer oocytes for micromanipulation than classical methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chong Li
- Laboratory for Genomic Reprogramming, Center for Developmental Biology, RIKEN, Kobe, Japan.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Coward K, Kubota H, Parrington J. In vivoGene Transfer into Testis and Sperm: Developments and Future Application. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 53:187-97. [PMID: 17852043 DOI: 10.1080/01485010701426455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Despite significant advances in the treatment of infertility via assisted reproductive technology (ART), the underlying causes of idiopathic male infertility still remain unclear. Accumulating evidence suggests that disorders associated with testicular gene expression may play an important role in male infertility. To be able to fully study the molecular mechanisms underlying spermatogenesis and fertilization, it is necessary to manipulate gene expression in male germ cells. Since there is still no reliable method of recapitulating spermatogenesis culture, the development of alternative transgenic approaches is paramount in the study of gene function in testis and sperm. Established methods of creating transgenic animals rely heavily upon injection of DNA into the pronucleus or the injection of transfected embryonic stem cells into blastocysts to form chimeras. Despite the success of these two approaches for making transgenic and knockout animals, concerns remain over costs and the efficiency of transgene integration. Consequently, efforts are in hand to evaluate alternative methodologies. At present, there is much interest in developing approaches that utilize spermatozoa as vectors for gene transfer. These approaches, including testis mediated gene transfer (TMGT) and sperm mediated gene transfer (SMGT), have great potential as tools for infertility research and in the creation of transgenic animals. The aim of this short review is to briefly describe developments in this field and discuss how these gene transfer methods might be used effectively in future research and clinical arenas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Coward
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Niu Y, Liang S. Progress in gene transfer by germ cells in mammals. J Genet Genomics 2009; 35:701-14. [PMID: 19103425 DOI: 10.1016/s1673-8527(08)60225-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2008] [Revised: 10/21/2008] [Accepted: 10/30/2008] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Use of germ cells as vectors for transgenesis in mammals has been well developed and offers exciting prospects for experimental and applied biology, agricultural and medical sciences. Such approach is referred to as either male germ cell mediated gene transfer (MGCMGT) or female germ cell mediated gene transfer (FGCMGT) technique. Sperm-mediated gene transfer (SMGT), including its alternative method, testis-mediated gene transfer (TMGT), becomes an established and reliable method for transgenesis. They have been extensively used for producing transgenic animals. The newly developed approach of FGCMGT, ovary-mediated gene transfer (OMGT) is also a novel and useful tool for efficient transgenesis. This review highlights an overview of the recent progress in germ cell mediated gene transfer techniques, methods developed and mechanisms of nucleic acid uptake by germ cells.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yidong Niu
- Laboratory Animal Center, Peking University People's Hospital, Beijing 100044, China.
| | | |
Collapse
|
19
|
Moisyadi S, Kaminski JM, Yanagimachi R. Use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) to generate transgenic animals. Comp Immunol Microbiol Infect Dis 2009; 32:47-60. [PMID: 18691759 PMCID: PMC3428221 DOI: 10.1016/j.cimid.2008.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Even though intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) has been widely used for the production of offspring in human infertility clinics and in reproductive research laboratories using mice, many researchers engaged in animal transgenesis still consider it somewhat cumbersome. The greatest advantage of ICSI-mediated transgenesis is that it allows introduction of very large DNA transgenes (e.g., yeast artificial chromosomes), with relatively high efficiency into the genomes of hosts, as compared to pronuclear injection. Recently, we have developed an active form of intracytoplasmic sperm injection-mediated transgenesis (ICSI-Tr) with fresh sperm utilizing transposons. The transgenic efficiencies rival all transgenic techniques except that of lentiviral methods.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Moisyadi
- John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822
| | - Joseph M. Kaminski
- Medical College of Georgia Cancer Center, Molecular Chaperone/Radiobiology and Cancer Virology, Augusta, GA, 30912
| | - Ryuzo Yanagimachi
- John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96822
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Navarro J, Risco R, Toschi M, Schattman G. Gene therapy and intracytoplasmatic sperm injection (ICSI) - a review. Placenta 2008; 29 Suppl B:193-9. [PMID: 18790332 DOI: 10.1016/j.placenta.2008.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2008] [Revised: 08/14/2008] [Accepted: 08/14/2008] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Human gene therapy (HGT), the treatment or prevention of disease by gene transfer is, regarded by many, as a potential revolution in medicine, because gene therapies target the causes of disease, whereas most current drugs treat the symptoms. Micro-assisted fertilization in the form of intracytoplasmatic sperm injection (ICSI) has truly revolutionized the treatment options for couples with impaired semen quality, and those with both obstructive and non-obstructive azoospermia. ICSI involves the injection of a single sperm directly into the cytoplasm of a mature egg (oocyte) using a glass needle (pipette). Fertilization with this technique occurs in 50%-80% of injected oocytes, but may damage a small percentage of them. With gene therapy, there are new and varied strategies for gene transfer and genome sequence manipulation with improved methodologies that use the technique of microinjection such as the intracytoplasmatic sperm injection-mediated transgenesis (ICSI-Tr), active transgenesis or the pronuclear microinjection technique. This review will look at these methods as well as their potential applications and limitations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Navarro
- Instituto de Biotecnología Aplicada (BIONAC), Seville, Spain.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
21
|
Wu Z, Li Z, Yang J. Transient transgene transmission to piglets by intrauterine insemination of spermatozoa incubated with DNA fragments. Mol Reprod Dev 2008; 75:26-32. [PMID: 17546633 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.20778] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
An efficient and low-cost production of transgenic pigs has significant applications to the pig industry and biomedical science. Generation of transgenic pig by sperm-mediated gene transfer (SMGT) was inexpensive and convenient, and reported with high efficiency. To test the method of SMGT in pigs, we employed deep post-cervical intrauterine insemination of incubated spermatozoa in this study. A test of sperm motility of semen from nine Landrace boars after incubation with radioactively labeled DNA construct indicated that DNA uptake of the sperm was highly correlated with sperm motility at the time of collection. DNA concentration of 50 and 300 microg per one billion sperm was incubated with washed high-motility sperm at 17 degrees C for 2 hr. Twenty one hybrid gilts and sows of Meishan crossed with Large White were inseminated with transgene-incubated sperm and produced 156 piglets. Transgene DNA sequences were identified in 31 piglets by PCR amplification of genomic DNA isolated from piglet ears at the age of 3 days. The deep intrauterine insemination had a higher rate of positive transgenic piglets than regular insemination (29.6% of 98 piglets vs. 3.4% of 58 piglets). However, the exogenous transgene DNA was not detected in any piglets at the age of 70-100 days. Therefore, the results further demonstrated that transgene through incubation with spermatozoa was mostly transiently transmitted to the offspring at early growing stage and lost in adulthood, which may result from episomal DNA replications during cell divisions only at the early stage of development.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zhenfang Wu
- Department of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Shinohara ET, Kaminski JM, Segal DJ, Pelczar P, Kolhe R, Ryan T, Coates CJ, Fraser MJ, Handler AM, Yanagimachi R, Moisyadi S. Active integration: new strategies for transgenesis. Transgenic Res 2007; 16:333-9. [PMID: 17340207 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-007-9077-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/27/2007] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
This paper presents novel methods for producing transgenic animals, with a further emphasis on how these techniques may someday be applied in gene therapy. There are several passive methods for transgenesis, such as pronuclear microinjection (PNI) and Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection-Mediated Transgenesis (ICSI-Tr), which rely on the repair mechanisms of the host for transgene (tg) insertion. ICSI-Tr has been shown to be an effective means of creating transgenic animals with a transfection efficiency of approximately 45% of animals born. Furthermore, because this involves the injection of the transgene into the cytoplasm of oocytes during fertilization, limited mosaicism has traditionally occurred using this technique. Current active transgenesis techniques involve the use of viruses, such as disarmed retroviruses which can insert genes into the host genome. However, these methods are limited by the size of the sequence that can be inserted, high embryo mortality, and randomness of insertion. A novel active method has been developed which combines ICSI-Tr with recombinases or transposases to increase transfection efficiency. This technique has been termed "Active Transgenesis" to imply that the tg is inserted into the host genome by enzymes supplied into the oocyte during tg introduction. DNA based methods alleviate many of the costs and time associated with purifying enzyme. Further studies have shown that RNA can be used for the transposase source. Using RNA may prevent problems with continued transposase activity that can occur if a DNA transposase is integrated into the host genome. At present piggyBac is the most effective transposon for stable integration in mammalian systems and as further studies are done to elucidate modifications which improve piggyBac's specificity and efficacy, efficiency in creating transgenic animals should improve further. Subsequently, these methods may someday be used for gene therapy in humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eric T Shinohara
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Abramson Cancer Center, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
23
|
Moreira PN, Pozueta J, Pérez-Crespo M, Valdivieso F, Gutiérrez-Adán A, Montoliu L. Improving the generation of genomic-type transgenic mice by ICSI. Transgenic Res 2007; 16:163-8. [PMID: 17372844 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-007-9075-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2006] [Accepted: 01/17/2007] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Transgenes included in genomic-type constructs, such as yeast artificial chromosomes (YAC), P1-derived artificial chromosomes, or bacterial artificial chromosomes (BAC), are normally correctly expressed, according to the endogenous expression pattern of the homologous locus, because their large size usually ensures the inclusion of all regulatory elements required for proper gene expression. The use of these large genomic-type transgenes is therefore the method of choice to overcome most position effects, commonly associated with standard-type transgenes, and to guarantee the faithful transgene expression. However, in spite of the different methods available, including pronuclear microinjection and the use of embryonic stem cells as vehicles for genomic transgenes, the generation of transgenic animals with BACs and, particularly, with YACs can be demanding, because of the low efficiencies requiring extensive microinjection sessions and/or higher number of oocytes. Recently, we have explored the use of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) into metaphase II oocytes as an alternative method for the generation of YAC transgenic mice. Our results suggest that the use of transgenic strategies based on ICSI significantly enhances the efficiency of YAC transgenesis by at least one order of magnitude.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pedro N Moreira
- Department of Animal Reproduction, INIA, Madrid, 28040, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|