Direct derivation of conditionally immortal cell lines from an H-2Kb-tsA58 transgenic mouse.

TLDR

Cell lines, often created by introducing immortalizing oncogenes such as SV40 large T antigen, have advanced many biological studies. The study aimed to generate transgenic mice expressing SV40 TAg to bypass in vitro gene insertion for cell line creation. They engineered a thermolabile SV40 TAg (tsA58) under the H‑2Kb promoter to limit in vivo activity while enabling widespread tissue expression. The transgene was expressed in all tissues, with normal development except thymic hyperplasia, and allowed the establishment of conditionally immortal fibroblast and thymic epithelial cultures whose immortalization correlated with TAg levels; a homozygous strain has been produced.

Abstract

Studies on cell lines have greatly improved our understanding of many important biological questions. Generation of cell lines is facilitated by the introduction of immortalizing oncogenes into cell types of interest. One gene known to immortalize many different cell types in vitro encodes the simian virus 40 (SV40) large tumor (T) antigen (TAg). To circumvent the need for gene insertion in vitro to generate cell lines, we created transgenic mice harboring the SV40 TAg gene. Since previous studies have shown that TAg expression in transgenic mice is associated with tumorigenesis and aberrant development, we utilized a thermolabile TAg [from a SV40 strain, tsA58, temperature sensitive (ts) for transformation] to reduce the levels of functional TAg present in vivo. To direct expression to a broad range of tissues, we used the mouse major histocompatibility complex H-2Kb promoter, which is both widely active and can be further induced by interferons. tsA58 TAg mRNA was expressed in tissues of all animals harboring the hybrid construct. Development of all tissues was macroscopically normal except for thymus, which consistently showed hyperplasia. Fibroblast and cytokeratin+ thymic epithelial cultures from these mice were readily established without undergoing crisis and were conditionally immortal in their growth; the degree of conditionality was correlated with the levels of tsA58 TAg detected. One strain of H-2Kb-tsA58 mice has been bred through several generations to homozygosity and transmits a functional copy of the transgene.