Identification of Glyceraldehyde-3-Phosphate Dehydrogenase Gene as an Alternative Safe Harbor Locus in Pig Genome

The ectopic overexpression of foreign genes in animal genomes is an important strategy for gain-of-function study and establishment of transgenic animal models. Previous studies showed that two loci (<i>Rosa26</i> and <i>pH11</i>) were identified as safe harbor locus in pig g...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Xiaosong Han, Youcai Xiong, Changzhi Zhao, Shengsong Xie, Changchun Li, Xinyun Li, Xiangdong Liu, Kui Li, Shuhong Zhao, Jinxue Ruan
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2019-08-01
Series:Genes
Subjects:
pig
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4425/10/9/660
Description
Summary:The ectopic overexpression of foreign genes in animal genomes is an important strategy for gain-of-function study and establishment of transgenic animal models. Previous studies showed that two loci (<i>Rosa26</i> and <i>pH11</i>) were identified as safe harbor locus in pig genomes, which means foreign genes can be integrated into this locus for stable expression. Moreover, integration of a transgene may interfere with the endogenous gene expression of the target locus after the foreign fragments are inserted. Here, we provide a new strategy for efficient transgene knock-in in the endogenous <i>GAPDH</i> gene via CRISPR/Cas9 mediated homologous recombination. This strategy has no influence on the expression of the endogenous <i>GAPDH</i> gene. Thus, the <i>GAPDH</i> locus is a new alternative safe harbor locus in the pig genome for foreign gene knock-ins. This strategy is promising for agricultural breeding and biomedical model applications.
ISSN:2073-4425