Transgenic mice that accept Luciferase‐ or GFP‐expressing syngeneic tumor cells at high efficiencies. (11th May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Aoyama, Naoki; Miyoshi, Hiroyuki; Miyachi, Hitoshi; Sonoshita, Masahiro; Okabe, Masaru; Taketo, Makoto Mark
• Is Part Of: Genes to cells. Volume 23:Number 7(2018)
• Page Start: 580
• Page End: 589
• Publication Date: 2018-05-11
• Subjects: cancer metastasis -- Colon‐26 -- green fluorescent protein -- immune tolerance -- live imaging -- luciferase -- transgenic mouse -- transplantation; Cytogenetics -- Periodicals; Cells -- Mechanical properties -- Periodicals; Molecular genetics -- Periodicals; Genes -- Periodicals; Molecular biology -- Periodicals; Cytology -- Periodicals; Biomechanics -- Periodicals; 571.6
• DOI: 10.1111/gtc.12592
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1356-9597

Abstract

Abstract : Jellyfish green fluorescent protein (GFP) and firefly luciferase can serve as versatile tracking markers for identification and quantification of transplanted cancer cells in vivo. However, immune reactions against these markers can hamper the formation of syngraft tumors and metastasis that follows. Here, we report two transgenic (Tg) mouse lines that express nonfunctional mutant marker proteins, namely modified firefly luciferase (Luc2) or enhanced GFP (EGFP). These mice, named as Tg‐mLuc2 and Tg‐mEGFP, turned out to be immunologically tolerant to the respective tracking markers and thus efficiently accepted syngeneic cancer cells expressing the active forms of the markers. We then injected intrarectally the F1 hybrid Tg mice (BALB/c × C57BL/6J) with Colon‐26 (C26) colon cancer cells that originated from a BALB/c mouse. Even when C26 cells expressed active Luc2 or EGFP, they formed primary tumors in the Tg mice with only 10 4 cells per mouse compared with more than 10 6 cells required in the nontransgenic BALB/c hosts. Furthermore, we detected metastatic foci of C26 cells in the liver and lungs of the Tg mice by tracking the specific reporter activities. These results show the usefulness of the Tg mouse lines as recipients for transplantation experiments with the non‐self tracking marker‐expressing cells. Abstract : Here, we report two transgenic (Tg) mouse lines that express nonfunctional mutant marker proteins, namely modified firefly luciferase (Luc2) or enhanced GFP (EGFP). These mice, named as Tg‐mLuc2 and Tg‐mEGFP, turned out to be immunologically tolerant to the respective tracking markers and therefore efficiently accepted syngeneic cancer cells expressing the active forms of the markers. The results demonstrate the usefulness of the Tg mouse lines as recipients for transplantation experiments with the non‐self tracking marker‐expressing cells.