Unmethylated CpG islands are known to keep adjacent promoters transcriptionally active. In the CpG island adjacent to the adenosine phosphoribosyltransferase gene, the protection against transcriptional silencing can be attributed to the short CpG-rich core element containing Sp1 binding sites. We report here the insertion of this CpG island core element, IE, into the long terminal repeat of a retroviral vector derived from Rous sarcoma virus, which normally suffers from progressive transcriptional silencing in mammalian cells. IE insertion into a specific position between enhancer and promoter sequences led to efficient protection of the integrated vector from silencing and gradual CpG methylation in rodent and human cells. Individual cell clones with IE-modified reporter vectors display high levels of reporter expression for a sustained period and without substantial variegation in the cell culture. The presence of Sp1 binding sites is important for the protective effect of IE, but at least some part of the entire antisilencing capacity is maintained in IE with mutated Sp1 sites. We suggest that this strategy of antisilencing protection by the CpG island core element may prove generally useful in retroviral vectors.

• MeSH
• biologické modely MeSH
• CpG ostrůvky * MeSH
• genetická transkripce * MeSH
• koncové repetice MeSH
• lidé MeSH
• mutace MeSH
• průtoková cytometrie MeSH
• ptačí sarkom genetika   virologie   MeSH
• ptáci MeSH
• reportérové geny MeSH
• transkripční faktor Sp1 metabolismus   MeSH
• umlčování genů * MeSH
• vazebná místa MeSH
• virus ptačí leukózy metabolismus   MeSH
• virus Rousova sarkomu metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• lidé MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• Názvy látek
• transkripční faktor Sp1 MeSH

CpG islands are important in the protection of adjacent housekeeping genes from de novo DNA methylation and for keeping them in a transcriptionally active state. However, little is known about their capacity to protect heterologous genes and assure position-independent transcription of adjacent transgenes or retroviral vectors. To tackle this question, we have used the mouse aprt CpG island to flank a Rous sarcoma virus (RSV)-derived reporter vector and followed the transcriptional activity of integrated vectors. RSV is an avian retrovirus which does not replicate in mammalian cells because of several blocks at all levels of the replication cycle. Here we show that our RSV-derived reporter proviruses linked to the mouse aprt gene CpG island remain undermethylated and keep their transcriptional activity after stable transfection into both avian and nonpermissive mammalian cells. This effect is most likely caused by the protection from de novo methylation provided by the CpG island and not by enhancement of the promoter strength. Our results are consistent with previous finding of CpG islands in proximity to active but not inactive proviruses and support further investigation of the protection of the gene transfer vectors from DNA methylation.

• MeSH
• adeninfosforibosyltransferasa genetika   MeSH
• buněčné linie virologie   MeSH
• CpG ostrůvky * MeSH
• defektní viry genetika   MeSH
• DNA virů chemie   genetika   MeSH
• DNA-(cytosin-5-)methyltransferasa metabolismus   MeSH
• experimentální sarkom genetika   virologie   MeSH
• fibroblasty virologie   MeSH
• genetická transkripce * MeSH
• genetické vektory genetika   fyziologie   MeSH
• integrace viru MeSH
• koncové repetice MeSH
• křečci praví MeSH
• křeček rodu Mesocricetus MeSH
• kuřecí embryo MeSH
• metylace DNA MeSH
• myši MeSH
• proviry genetika   MeSH
• regulace exprese virových genů * MeSH
• replikace viru MeSH
• reportérové geny MeSH
• umlčování genů * MeSH
• viry ptačího sarkomu genetika   fyziologie   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• křečci praví MeSH
• kuřecí embryo MeSH
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH
• práce podpořená grantem MeSH
• srovnávací studie MeSH
• Názvy látek
• adeninfosforibosyltransferasa MeSH
• DNA virů MeSH
• DNA-(cytosin-5-)methyltransferasa MeSH