Construction of a defective retrovirus containing the human hypoxanthine phosphoribosyltransferase cDNA and its expression in cultured cells and mouse bone marrow

Rapid titration of retroviral vectors encoding intracellular antigens by flow cytometry

Flow cytometry was used to detect cells infected with retroviral vectors encoding both simian virus 40 large T antigen and G418 resistance after indirect immunofluorescence staining using a T-antigen-specific monoclonal antibody and a fluorescein-conjugated secondary antibody. Titers of viral stocks determined by flow cytometry were equivalent to those determined by quantitation of G418-resistant colonies.

Low-affinity placenta-derived receptors for human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor can deliver a proliferative signal to murine hemopoietic cells

Retrovirally mediated introduction of a cDNA encoding a placenta-derived low-affinity receptor for human granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) into murine FDC-P1 hemopoietic cells allowed these cells to proliferate when stimulated by human GM-CSF. The expressed human receptors on cloned lines were of low affinity (Kd = 4-6 nM), were internalized, and did not interact with endogenous GM-CSF receptors. Concentrations of human GM-CSF of 6.5-13 nM were required to stimulate 50% maximal colony formation versus a concentration of murine GM-CSF of 6 pM; this difference is comparable with the difference in relative affinities of the human and murine receptors for their respective ligands. If maintained in murine GM-CSF, cells able to bind or respond to human GM-CSF were rapidly lost due to transcriptional inactivation of the inserted cDNA. The observations indicate that low-affinity receptors for human GM-CSF can deliver a proliferative signal in appropriate cells and that the signaling mechanisms are not species-specific.

Alu polymerase chain reaction: a method for rapid isolation of human-specific sequences from complex DNA sources

Current efforts to map the human genome are focused on individual chromosomes or smaller regions and frequently rely on the use of somatic cell hybrids. We report the application of the polymerase chain reaction to direct amplification of human DNA from hybrid cells containing regions of the human genome in rodent cell backgrounds using primers directed to the human Alu repeat element. We demonstrate Alu-directed amplification of a fragment of the human HPRT gene from both hybrid cell and cloned DNA and identify through sequence analysis the Alu repeats involved in this amplification. We also demonstrate the application of this technique to identify the chromosomal locations of large fragments of the human X chromosome cloned in a yeast artificial chromosome and the general applicability of the method to the preparation of DNA probes from cloned human sequences. The technique allows rapid gene mapping and provides a simple method for the isolation and analysis of specific chromosomal regions.

Expression of human adenosine deaminase in murine hematopoietic cells

Multiple replication-defective retrovirus vectors were tested for their ability to transfer and express human adenosine deaminase in vitro and in vivo in a mouse bone marrow transplantation model. High-titer virus production was obtained from vectors by using both a retrovirus long terminal repeat promoter and internal transcriptional units with human c-fos and herpes virus thymidine kinase promoters. After infection of primary murine bone marrow with one of these vectors, human adenosine deaminase was detected in 60 to 85% of spleen colony-forming units and in the blood of 14 of 14 syngeneic marrow transplant recipients. This system offers the opportunity to assess methods for increasing efficiency of gene transfer, for regulation of expression of foreign genes in hematopoietic progenitors, and for long-term measurement of the stability of expression in these cells.

Expression of human adenosine deaminase in murine hematopoietic cells

Multiple replication-defective retrovirus vectors were tested for their ability to transfer and express human adenosine deaminase in vitro and in vivo in a mouse bone marrow transplantation model. High-titer virus production was obtained from vectors by using both a retrovirus long terminal repeat promoter and internal transcriptional units with human c-fos and herpes virus thymidine kinase promoters. After infection of primary murine bone marrow with one of these vectors, human adenosine deaminase was detected in 60 to 85% of spleen colony-forming units and in the blood of 14 of 14 syngeneic marrow transplant recipients. This system offers the opportunity to assess methods for increasing efficiency of gene transfer, for regulation of expression of foreign genes in hematopoietic progenitors, and for long-term measurement of the stability of expression in these cells.

Introduction of new genetic material into human myeloid leukemic blast stem cells by retroviral infection

An amphotropic retroviral vector containing the bacterial neomycin phosphotransferase gene (neo) was used to infect blast cells from patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia. The infected cells acquired a G418-resistant phenotype that was stable as measured in a clonogenic assay and in long-term suspension culture. Thus, gene transfer into stem cells was accomplished by this procedure. This approach for manipulating gene expression in blast stem cells provides a means to assess the roles of a variety of genes in self-renewal, differentiation, and leukemogenesis.

Introduction of new genetic material into human myeloid leukemic blast stem cells by retroviral infection

An amphotropic retroviral vector containing the bacterial neomycin phosphotransferase gene (neo) was used to infect blast cells from patients with acute myeloblastic leukemia. The infected cells acquired a G418-resistant phenotype that was stable as measured in a clonogenic assay and in long-term suspension culture. Thus, gene transfer into stem cells was accomplished by this procedure. This approach for manipulating gene expression in blast stem cells provides a means to assess the roles of a variety of genes in self-renewal, differentiation, and leukemogenesis.