Production of transgenic bovine cloned embryos using piggybac transposition

Transgenic research on cattle embryos has been developed to date using viral or plasmid DNA delivery systems. In this study, a different gene delivery system, piggybac transposition, was employed to investigate if it can be applied for producing transgenic cattle embryos. Green or red fluorescent proteins (GFP or RFP) were transfected into donor fibroblasts, and then transfected donor cells were reprogrammed in enucleated oocytes through SCNT and developed into pre-implantation stage embryos. GFP was expressed in donor cells and in cloned embryos without any mosaicism. Induction of RFP expression was regulated by doxycycline treatment in donor fibro-blasts and pre-implantational stage embryos. In conclusion, this study demonstrated that piggybac transposition could be a mean to deliver genes into bovine somatic cells or embryos for transgenic research.