Persistent expression of foreign genes in cultured hepatocytes: Expression vectors

Sonia M. Najjar, Robert E. Lewis

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

18 Scopus citations

Abstract

We have optimized a liposome-based transfection method that mediated highly efficient stable expression of foreign genes in hepatocytes. Moreover, we have observed that the metallothionein 1 promoter in the bovine papilloma virus-based expression vector drove the highest expression of foreign genes in hepatocytes as compared with the cytomegalovirus and the human polypeptide chain elongation factor 1α (EF-1α) promoters in the pcDNA 3-based expression vector. The cytomegalovirus promoter failed to yield significant expression in these cells. Furthermore, expression of foreign genes persisted up to at least 15 passages when expression was under the control of either the EF-1α or the metallothionein 1 promoter. Thus, these two promoters led to comparable stability of foreign genes in hepatocytes, with the metallothionein 1 promoter yielding a higher level of expression of foreign genes in these cells.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)41-45
Number of pages5
JournalGene
Volume230
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1 1999

Keywords

  • Bovine papilloma virus
  • Cytomegalovirus
  • Human polypeptide chain elongation factor 1α
  • Promoter
  • Stable transfection

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Genetics

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