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Kobayashi E, Hakamata Y, Enosawa S, Shang KM, Komatsu H. Firefly Rats: Illuminating the Scientific Community in Transplantation Research. Cell Transplant 2024; 33:9636897231224174. [PMID: 38235662 PMCID: PMC10798091 DOI: 10.1177/09636897231224174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2023] [Revised: 12/17/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Fireflies produce light through luciferase-catalyzed reactions involving luciferin, oxygen, and adenosine triphosphate, distinct from other luminescent organisms. This unique feature has revolutionized molecular biology and physiology, serving as a valuable tool for cellular research. Luciferase-based bioluminescent imaging enabled the creation of transgenic animals, such as Firefly Rats. Firefly Rats, created in 2006, ubiquitously express luciferase and have become a critical asset in scientific investigations. These rats have significantly contributed to transplantation and tissue engineering studies. Their low immunogenicity reduces graft rejection risk, making them ideal for long-term tracking of organ/tissue/cellular engraftments. Importantly, in the islet transplantation setting, the ubiquitous luciferase expression in these rats does not alter islet morphology or function, ensuring accurate assessments of engrafted islets. Firefly Rats have illuminated the path of transplantation research worldwide for over a decade and continue accelerating scientific advancements in many fields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eiji Kobayashi
- Department of Kidney Regenerative Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
- Division of Basic Science, School of Veterinary Nursing and Technology, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Yoji Hakamata
- Division of Basic Science, School of Veterinary Nursing and Technology, Nippon Veterinary and Life Science University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shin Enosawa
- Department of Kidney Regenerative Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kuang-Ming Shang
- Department of Medical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Hirotake Komatsu
- Department of Translational Research & Cellular Therapeutics, Arthur Riggs Diabetes & Metabolism Research Institute, City of Hope, Duarte, CA, USA
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Kaneko R, Sato A, Hamada S, Yagi T, Ohsawa I, Ohtsuki M, Kobayashi E, Hirabayashi M, Murakami T. Transgenic rat model of childhood-onset dermatitis by overexpressing telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT). Transgenic Res 2016; 25:413-24. [PMID: 26885830 DOI: 10.1007/s11248-016-9939-3] [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: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 02/08/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Childhood-onset dermatitis is one of the most common skin disorders in children. Although various mouse models that mirror aspects of dermatitis have become available, there is still a need for an animal model that develops dermatitis in childhood and is more suitable for performing tissue transplantation experiments. There is emerging evidence that peripheral blood T lymphocytes from patients with dermatitis have significantly increased telomerase activity. Here, we developed telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT)-expressing transgenic (Tg) rats that spontaneously developed eczematous skin inflammation in childhood. Newborn TERT-Tg rats developed visible dermatitis in 56 % of cases, and the skin lesions microscopically showed spongiosis and acanthosis with infiltration of lymphocytes, eosinophils and mast cells. TERT-Tg rats with dermatitis exhibited increased CD4 (2.5-fold) and CD8 (fivefold) T cell numbers compared with dermatitis-free TERT-Tg rats. Stronger TERT activity was observed in the peripheral lymphocytes of dermatitis-positive TERT-Tg rats than those of dermatitis-free TERT-Tg rats. RT-PCR analysis revealed that IL-4 was markedly elevated in the spleen of dermatitis-positive TERT-Tg rats, and that interferon-gamma was increased in the dermatitis lesions. Moreover, skin grafting of TERT-Tg rats with dermatitis onto T cell-deficient nude rats demonstrated that the inflamed skin lesions could not be maintained. Taken together, the results suggest that TERT activation in T lymphocytes is one of the potential predisposing factors for dermatitis. Moreover, our results demonstrated that the TERT-Tg rats mirror aspects of human childhood-onset dermatitis and that these animals represent a potential animal model system for studying childhood-onset dermatitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryosuke Kaneko
- Bioresource Center, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, 371-8511, Japan.,KOKORO-Biology Group, Laboratories for Integrated Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Atsuko Sato
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan.,Department of Dermatology, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan
| | - Shun Hamada
- KOKORO-Biology Group, Laboratories for Integrated Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Department of Food and Health Sciences, Fukuoka Women's University, Higashi-Ku, Fukuoka, 813-8529, Japan
| | - Takeshi Yagi
- KOKORO-Biology Group, Laboratories for Integrated Biology, Graduate School of Frontier Biosciences, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan.,Japan Science and Technology Agency-Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology, CREST, Osaka University, 1-3 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka, 565-0871, Japan
| | - Ichiro Ohsawa
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan
| | - Mamitaro Ohtsuki
- Department of Dermatology, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan
| | - Eiji Kobayashi
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan.,Department of Organ Fabrication, Keio University School of Medicine, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 160-8582, Japan
| | - Masumi Hirabayashi
- Section of Mammalian Transgenesis, Center for Genetic Analysis of Behavior, National Institute for Physiological Sciences, Okazaki, Aichi, 444-8787, Japan
| | - Takashi Murakami
- Center for Molecular Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, 329-0498, Japan. .,Laboratory of Tumor Biology, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Takasaki University of Health and Welfare, 60 Nakaorui, Takasaki, Gunma, 370-0033, Japan.
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Garcia Diaz AI, Moyon B, Coan PM, Alfazema N, Venda L, Woollard K, Aitman T. New Wistar Kyoto and spontaneously hypertensive rat transgenic models with ubiquitous expression of green fluorescent protein. Dis Model Mech 2016; 9:463-71. [PMID: 26769799 PMCID: PMC4852507 DOI: 10.1242/dmm.024208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2015] [Accepted: 01/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Wistar Kyoto (WKY) rat and the spontaneously hypertensive (SHR) rat inbred strains are well-established models for human crescentic glomerulonephritis (CRGN) and metabolic syndrome, respectively. Novel transgenic (Tg) strains add research opportunities and increase scientific value to well-established rat models. We have created two novel Tg strains using Sleeping Beauty transposon germline transgenesis, ubiquitously expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP) under the rat elongation factor 1 alpha (EF1a) promoter on the WKY and SHR genetic backgrounds. The Sleeping Beauty system functioned with high transgenesis efficiency; 75% of new rats born after embryo microinjections were transgene positive. By ligation-mediated PCR, we located the genome integration sites, confirming no exonic disruption and defining a single or low copy number of the transgenes in the new WKY-GFP and SHR-GFP Tg lines. We report GFP-bright expression in embryos, tissues and organs in both lines and show preliminaryin vitroandin vivoimaging data that demonstrate the utility of the new GFP-expressing lines for adoptive transfer, transplantation and fate mapping studies of CRGN, metabolic syndrome and other traits for which these strains have been extensively studied over the past four decades.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Isabel Garcia Diaz
- Division of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, UK MRC Clinical Sciences Centre and Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Ben Moyon
- Embryonic Stem Cell and Transgenics Facility, MRC Clinical Sciences Centre, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Philip M Coan
- Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Neza Alfazema
- Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
| | - Lara Venda
- MRC Clinical Sciences Centre and Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK
| | - Kevin Woollard
- Division of Immunology and Inflammation, Imperial College London, London W2 1PG, UK
| | - Tim Aitman
- MRC Clinical Sciences Centre and Department of Medicine, Imperial College London, London W12 0NN, UK Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH4 2XU, UK
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