牛乳腺上皮细胞体外培养条件的优化及功能验证

乳腺上皮细胞是研究泌乳的调控机理、乳腺癌发病机制以及制备乳腺生物反应器靶细胞。由于乳腺细胞体外培养生命周期较短并且增殖活力与体外培养时间呈负相关,到目前为止,能够适合体外研究的乳腺细胞系报道较少。因此,在优化了乳腺细胞体外培养条件的基础上,进一步验证了优化体系后培养的乳腺上皮细胞生物学的稳定性、蛋白表达情况及转基因的效率。结果表明:1∶1 DMEM/F12基础培养液+10%胎牛血清+2 mmol/L谷氨酰胺+10 ng/m L表皮生长因子+10 ng/m L碱性成纤维细胞生长因子+10μg/m L的ITS+5μg/m L胰岛素+0.1 mmol/L非必须氨基酸是维持乳腺上皮细胞体外培养的最适条件。在此培养条件获得的乳腺上皮细胞生长旺盛,传代次数能延长到20代,生长后期仍然能稳定表达CK18,且具有较高的转基因效率。     

转基因小鼠乳腺上皮细胞的体外培养及其对催乳素反应的研究

实现转基因生物乳腺反应器对外源蛋白的高效表达是目前生物制药亟待解决的难题。催乳素对泌乳期乳蛋白的合成与分泌具有重要的调控功能。通过转基因小鼠乳腺上皮细胞模型的建立,研究催乳素如何调控乳蛋白的表达,为提高乳腺反应器高效表达外源蛋白提供技术及理论支撑。应用机械破碎及胶原酶消化法,经差速贴壁纯化,成功培养含人转铁蛋白基因的小鼠乳腺上皮细胞,细胞上清液中检测到人转铁蛋白表达。细胞经牛催乳素诱导后人转铁蛋白的表达水平明显升高。利用转基因小鼠乳腺上皮细胞模型,可以进行催乳素和环境因素等对乳腺上皮细胞合成及分泌蛋白能力影响的研究。     

牛αS1-酪蛋白5''调控序列驱动人α-LA基因与LacZ基因在牛乳腺上皮细胞中的表达

将牛αS1-酪蛋白5′调控序列约1.2 kb的片段,连接到含SV40启动子调控下β-半乳糖苷酶基因(LaeZ)的PSV载体上,做为肩动子,在其后连接0.76kb的人仅α-乳白蛋白基凼(α-LA),构建真核表达载体αS1-LA-psv.采用组织块接种法,培养奶牛乳腺上皮细胞,经传代纯化后,对细胞接种存活率、群体倍增时间、生长曲线、形态学等生物学性状进行检测,用免疫荧光细胞染色法对培养的奶牛乳腺上皮细胞进行角蛋白18鉴定,结果表明,成功建立奶牛乳腺上皮细胞系,细胞传至20代以上时仍保持旺盛的增殖活力.将构建的真核表达载体αS1-LA-psv转染奶牛乳腺上皮细胞,培养24～120h均检测到了β-半乳糖苷酶的表达;培养72 h检测到细胞中人α-乳白蛋白的表达,表达量约为0.64 g/L.实验结果表明,建它的奶牛乳腺上皮细胞系具有外源基因表达活性,得到的牛αS1-酪蛋白5′调控序列能作为启动子指导外源基因的表达,构建的真核表达载体能在体外培养的牛乳腺上皮细胞中同时表达人α-乳白蛋白和β-半乳糖苷酶.     

牛αS1-酪蛋白5′调控序列驱动人α-LA基因与LacZ基因在牛乳腺上皮细胞中的表达

将牛αS1-酪蛋白5′调控序列约1.2 kb的片段,连接到含SV40启动子调控下β-半乳糖苷酶基因(LacZ)的PSV载体上,做为启动子,在其后连接0.76 kb的人α-乳白蛋白基因(α-LA),构建真核表达载体 αS1-LA-psv．采用组织块接种法,培养奶牛乳腺上皮细胞,经传代纯化后,对细胞接种存活率、群体倍增时间、生长曲线、形态学等生物学性状进行检测,用免疫荧光细胞染色法对培养的奶牛乳腺上皮细胞进行角蛋白18鉴定,结果表明,成功建立奶牛乳腺上皮细胞系,细胞传至20代以上时仍保持旺盛的增殖活力．将构建的真核表达载体 αS1-LA-psv 转染奶牛乳腺上皮细胞,培养24～120 h均检测到了β-半乳糖苷酶的表达;培养72 h检测到细胞中人α-乳白蛋白的表达,表达量约为0.64 g/L．实验结果表明,建立的奶牛乳腺上皮细胞系具有外源基因表达活性,得到的牛αS1-酪蛋白5′调控序列能作为启动子指导外源基因的表达,构建的真核表达载体能在体外培养的牛乳腺上皮细胞中同时表达人α-乳白蛋白和β-半乳糖苷酶．     

以经过转染的乳腺上皮细胞生产克隆羊

为研究转基因乳腺上皮细胞发育的全能性,利用电转染方法将人乳铁蛋白(hLF)乳腺特异性表达载体电转染山羊乳腺上皮细胞,经G418和PCR筛选获得阳性克隆细胞株,经催乳素诱导的细胞株上清液用Western blotting方法检测hLF的表达。以转基因与上清液中表达hLF均为阳性的细胞为核供体细胞,进行山羊体细胞核移植。结果为:16株细胞表达重组hLF,分子质量为75 kD;将144枚重构胚移入16只同步发情的山羊输卵管中,在移植后的30 d、60 d和90 d的妊娠率分别为87.5%、81.3%和62.5%;最终3只受体妊娠足月,产下3只克隆羊,克隆效率为2.1%,PCR-RFLP分析表明克隆羊均来自供体羊细胞,但没有整合外源基因。结果表明,hLF转基因乳腺上皮细胞能分泌hLF;乳腺上皮细胞经转染、筛选和长期培养的条件下,能保持发育的全能性。     

稳定表达牛催乳素基因的小鼠乳腺上皮细胞系的建立

在乳腺上皮细胞体外培养时,为了使其状态接近泌乳期,需要在培养基中添加催乳素.由于催乳素价格昂贵,使得乳腺上皮细胞的体外培养成本颇高.建立在体外培养过程中不需要添加催乳素蛋白的乳腺上皮细胞系,能为在细胞水平研究乳腺细胞相关基因提供诸多方便.利用慢病毒载体的整合特性,建立稳定整合了牛催乳素cDNA(bPRL)表达盒的小鼠乳腺上皮细胞系(HC11细胞系).经10代次以上的传代以后,通过定量PCR检测,证明平均每个细胞中含有2.6个外源的bPRL基因,其表达量为HC11细胞中管家基因β-肌动蛋白(β-actin)表达量的14%左右.另外,先前的研究结果表明催乳素能在HC11和泌乳期的小鼠乳腺上皮组织中有效促进山羊β-酪蛋白启动子启动外源基因的表达.之后的实验证实整合了催乳素基因的HC11细胞(bPRL-HC11细胞系)也有此功能.因此,bPRL-HC11细胞系可以为体外研究乳腺生物反应器提供良好的细胞模型.     

奶山羊乳腺上皮细胞的分离、培养及鉴定

应用组织块培养法高密度培养、连续传代法建立西农萨能奶山羊乳腺上皮细胞体外培养体系,通过生长曲线绘制、核型分析、免疫荧光染色 (角蛋白、上皮膜抗原、波形蛋白、β-酪蛋白)、油红染色及β-酪蛋白基因的RT-PCR分析进行培养细胞鉴定。实验结果表明细胞生长曲线为典型的S型,染色体数目众数为60,细胞角蛋白、上皮膜抗原、波形蛋白、β-酪蛋白表达均呈阳性,油红染色后可见细胞质内的脂滴,且细胞表达酪蛋白mRNA。说明运用本方法培养的细胞为正常的乳腺上皮细胞,并具有一定的泌乳功能。     

甲状腺素T4对体外高温培养奶牛乳腺上皮细胞生长和凋亡的影响

以体外培养的奶牛乳腺上皮细胞为模型,采用台盼蓝染色绘制生长曲线,细胞流式检测细胞凋亡,以正常培养温度(38℃)为对照,研究体外高温培养条件下(42℃),添加不同浓度(0.01、01和1mol/L)甲状腺素(thyroxine,T4)对细胞生长和凋亡的影响.结果表明,不同浓度的T4在38℃有促进奶牛乳腺上皮细胞生长的趋势,但是变化不显著(P>0.05),而T4对缓解高温所造成的乳腺上皮细胞的生长抑制作用也不显著(P>0.05);不同的T4都能够极显著缓解42℃培养1 h和3 h的奶牛乳腺上皮细胞的凋亡(P<0.01),并且对缓解42℃培养3 h的细胞凋亡效果更加明显,但是对42℃培养5 h和8 h的细胞,仅1 μmol/L的T4能够极显著缓解其凋亡(P<0.01).结果提示,T4对高温造成的奶牛乳腺上皮细胞的生长抑制没有明显的缓解作用,但能缓解高温诱导的奶牛乳腺上皮细胞凋亡.     

小鼠乳腺上皮细胞培养体系的建立及Heregulin-α的调控作用

旨在建立完善的小鼠乳腺上皮细胞体外培养体系,探讨Heregulin-α（HRG-α）对该体系乳腺上皮细胞增殖及代谢的影响,为进一步深入研究乳腺上皮细胞的形态、结构和功能,揭示HRG-α在小鼠乳腺发育中的作用及其规律提供理论依据.通过比较不同pH和不同血清浓度配比的生长培养液对小鼠乳腺细胞生长的影响,得出pH7.4,添加10%血清的生长培养液为乳腺上皮细胞生长的最佳条件.通过运用相差显微镜技术、MTT等研究方法进行不同取材时期乳腺上皮细胞的形态、接种存活率、倍增时间、生长曲线等生物学特性比较,获得妊娠15天为较好的乳腺细胞取材时期.采用免疫组化和RT-PCR方法对细胞重要的标志蛋白角蛋白-18进行检测,鉴定所获得的细胞为乳腺上皮细胞,成功建立小鼠乳腺上皮细胞体外培养体系.利用所建立的小鼠乳腺上皮细胞体外培养体系,采用液相色谱技术及MTT方法,初步探讨了HRG-α对小鼠乳腺上皮细胞的影响.结果表明,适宜量HRG-α对小鼠乳腺上皮细胞生长和分泌总蛋白、乳糖均有显著促进作用,0.1～20ng/mL的HRG-α可促进小鼠乳腺上皮细胞的增殖和总蛋白、乳糖含量的增加,20ng/mL时达到最大值（P〈0.01）,50和100ng/mLHRG-α抑制小鼠乳腺上皮细胞的增殖,降低小鼠乳腺上皮细胞的总蛋白、乳糖含量（P〈0.05）.     

HBD-3基因的乳腺特异性表达载体的构建及真核表达

为了制备高效表达人β-防御素-3基因的转基因奶牛提供可靠的核移植供体细胞,本试验采用RT-PCR从人胎盘组织获得人β-防御素3cDNA,通过双酶切法将目的基因片段hBD插入到质粒pBCP之间,最后再通过双酶切法将目的片段BCD插入到真核表达载体pEGFP-C1中,最终构建乳腺特异性表达载体pEBCD。脂质体介导法转染奶牛胎儿成纤维细胞G418,抗性筛选3~4周后,经PCR、RT-PCR扩增检测和报告基因EGFP表达检测,得到稳定整合外源基因的转基因供体细胞;同时检测稳定转染的奶牛乳腺上皮细胞系的上清液,检测到重组人β-防御素-3蛋白可以在奶牛乳腺上皮细胞组织特异性表达。     

SV40 T基因转化的山羊乳腺上皮细胞系及其生物学特性

目的建立能用于乳腺特异表达基因构件质量检验的山羊乳腺上皮细胞系.方法根据已发表的SV40病毒T基因序列设计引物,以整合有SV40 DNA早期基因区的COS-1细胞基因组DNA为模板,用高保真PCR扩增SV40 T基因.将获得的SV40 T基因克隆入真核表达载体,并用获得的重组表达质粒转染山羊原代乳腺上皮细胞.经有限稀释和反复传代后获得转化细胞克隆,对其生物学特性进行研究.结果扩增出序列正确的SV40T基因,重组质粒转染获得的转化细胞的对数生长期为接种后第4天,细胞群体倍增时间为23.5*!h,克隆形成率为26.7%.DNA斑点杂交试验证明转化细胞的基因组中整合有SV40 T基因,染色体核型分析试验表明转化细胞的核型无明显异常,裸鼠接种试验证明转化细胞不能形成肿瘤,软琼脂集落形成试验表明转化细胞在软琼脂中不能生长.部分细胞克隆已在体外传30代以上,保持正常乳腺上皮细胞的形态特征,在胶原基质上能形成腺泡样结构.结论本研究获得的SV40 T基因转化的山羊乳腺上皮细胞具有转化细胞系的生物学特性.     

Establishment of Mammary Gland Model In Vitro: Culture and Evaluation of a Yak Mammary Epithelial Cell Line

This study aimed to establish yak mammary epithelial cells (YMECs) for an in vitro model of yak mammary gland biology. The primary culture of YMECs was obtained from mammary gland tissues of lactating yak and then characterized using immunocytochemistry, RT-PCR, and western blot analysis. Whether foreign genes could be transfected into the YMECs were examined by transfecting the EGFP gene into the cells. Finally, the effect of Staphylococcus aureus infection on YMECs was determined. The established YMECs retained the mammary epithelial cell characteristics. A spontaneously immortalized yak mammary epithelial cell line was established and could be continuously subcultured for more than 60 passages without senescence. The EGFP gene was successfully transferred into the YMECs, and the transfected cells could be maintained for a long duration in the culture by continuous subculturing. The cells expressed more antimicrobial peptides upon S.aureus invasion. Therefore, the established cell line could be considered a model system to understand yak mammary gland biology.     

The use of flow cytometry and fluorescein-labeled antibodies to measure specific milk proteins in bovine mammary epithelial cells

Summary A flow cytometric technique was developed to measure the relative concentration of whey protein and β-casein in individual fixed and permeabilized bovine mammary epithelial cells. Primary bovine mammary epithelial cells were compared to mammary cells isolated from explants after a 24-h incubation and a bovine mammary epithelial transfected cell line (MAC-T). Cells were incubated with rabbit anti-bovine whey protein (α-lactalbumin + β-lactoglobulin) or β-casein primary antibodies followed by a fluorescein-labeled goat anti-rabbit IgG second antibody. The number and intensity of fluorescing cells were measured using an EPICS Profile Flow Cytometer. Primary and explant cells contained 3.3 and 2.8 times more whey protein than MAC-T cells. Explant epithelial cells contained 2.9 and 5.1 times more β-casein than primary or MAC-T cells. The higher concentrations of specific proteins within the cells was attributed to either greater synthesis or reduced secretion. These data show that flow cytometry is capable of detecting differences in milk protein concentration in different mammary epithelial cell types.     

Establishment and characterization of a lactating dairy goat mammary gland epithelial cell line

To study milk synthesis in dairy goat mammary gland, we had established an in vitro lactating dairy goat mammary epithelial cell (DGMEC) line. Mammary tissues of Guan Zhong dairy goats at 35 d of lactation were dispersed and cultured in a medium containing epithelial growth factor, insulin-like growth factor-1, insulin transferrin serum, and fetal bovine serum. Epithelial cells were enriched by digesting with 0.25% trypsin repeatedly to remove fibroblast cells and were identified as epithelial origin by staining with antibody against cytokeratine 18. The DGMECs displayed monolayer, cobble-stone, epithelial-like morphology, and formed alveoli-like structures and island monolayer aggregates which were the typical characteristics of mammary epithelial cells. A one-half logarithmically growth curve and cytoplasmic lipid droplets in these cells were observed. In this paper, we also studied the lactating function of DGMECs. Results showed that DGMECs could secrete lactose and β-casein. Lactating function of the cells had no obvious change after 48 h treated by insulin, while prolactin could obviously raise the secretion of milk proteins and lactose.     

Development and validation of immortalized bovine mammary epithelial cell line as an in vitro model for the study of mammary gland functions

This study aimed to develop a bovine mammary epithelial (BME) cell line model, which provides a possibility to determine functional properties of the bovine mammary gland. The primary cell culture was derived from bovine mammary gland tissues and processed enzymatically to obtain cell colonies with epithelial-like morphology. The cultures of BME cells were purified and optimally cultured at 37 °C in DMEM/F12 medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum. The BME cells were identified as epithelial cell line by the evaluating the expression of keratin-18 using immunofluorescence staining. A novel gene expression system strongly enhances the expression of telomerase, has been used to immortalize BME cell line termed hTBME cell line. Interestingly, telomerase remained active even after over 60 passages of hTBME cell line, required for immortalization of BME cells. In addition, the hTBME cell line was continuously subcultured with a spontaneous epithelial-like morphology, with a great proliferation activity, and without evidence of apoptotic and necrotic effects. Further characterization showed that hTBME cell line can be continuously propagated in culture with constant chromosomal features and without tumorigenic properties. Finally, established hTBME cell line was evaluated for mammary gland specific functions. Our results demonstrated that the hTBME cell line was able to retain functional-morphological structure, and functional differentiation by expression of beta (β)-casein as in the bovine mammary gland in vivo. Taken together, our findings suggest that the established hTBME cell line can serve as a valuable tool for the study of bovine mammary gland functions.     

Large-scale production of functional human lysozyme in transgenic cloned goats

Human lysozyme (hLZ), an essential protein against many types of microorganisms, has been expressed in transgenic livestock to improve their health status and milk quality. However, the large-scale production of hLZ in transgenic livestock is currently unavailable. Here we describe the generation of transgenic goats, by somatic cell-mediated transgenic cloning, that express large amounts of recombinant human lysozyme (rhLZ) in milk. Specifically, two optimized lysozyme expression cassettes (β-casein/hLZ and β-lactoglobulin/hLZ) were designed and introduced into goat somatic cells by cell transfection. Using transgenic cell colonies, which were screened by 0.8 mg/mL G418, as a nuclear donor, we obtained 10 transgenic cloned goats containing one copy of hLZ hybrid gene. An ELISA assay indicated that the transgenic goats secreted up to 6.2 g/L of rhLZ in their milk during the natural lactation period, which is approximately 5–10 times higher than human milk. The average rhLZ expression levels in β-casein/hLZ and β-lactoglobulin/hLZ transgenic goats were 2.3 g/L and 3.6 g/L, respectively. Therefore, both rhLZ expression cassettes could induce high levels of expression of the rhLZ in goat mammary glands. In addition, the rhLZ purified from goat milk has similar physicochemical properties as the natural human lysozyme, including the molecular mass, N-terminal sequence, lytic activity, and thermal and pH stability. An antibacterial analysis revealed that rhLZ and hLZ were equally effective in two bacterial inhibition experiments using Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. Taken together, our experiments not only underlined that the large-scale production of biologically active rhLZ in animal mammary gland is realistic, but also demonstrated that rhLZ purified from goat milk will be potentially useful in biopharmaceuticals.     

A Hormone-responsive 3D Culture Model of the Human Mammary Gland Epithelium

The process of mammary epithelial morphogenesis is influenced by hormones. The study of hormone action on the breast epithelium using 2D cultures is limited to cell proliferation and gene expression endpoints. However, in the organism, mammary morphogenesis occurs in a 3D environment. 3D culture systems help bridge the gap between monolayer cell culture (2D) and the complexity of the organism. Herein, we describe a 3D culture model of the human breast epithelium that is suitable to study hormone action. It uses the commercially available hormone-responsive human breast epithelial cell line, T47D, and rat tail collagen type 1 as a matrix. This 3D culture model responds to the main mammotropic hormones: estradiol, progestins and prolactin. The influence of these hormones on epithelial morphogenesis can be observed after 1- or 2-week treatment according to the endpoint. The 3D cultures can be harvested for analysis of epithelial morphogenesis, cell proliferation and gene expression.     

In Vitro Culture and Characterization of a Mammary Epithelial Cell Line from Chinese Holstein Dairy Cow

Background

The objective of this study was to establish a culture system and elucidate the unique characteristics of a bovine mammary epithelial cell line in vitro.

Methodology

Mammary tissue from a three year old lactating dairy cow (ca. 100 d relative to parturition) was used as a source of the epithelial cell line, which was cultured in collagen-coated tissue culture dishes. Fibroblasts and epithelial cells successively grew and extended from the culturing mammary tissue at the third day. Pure epithelial cells were obtained by passages culture.

Principal Findings

The strong positive immunostaining to cytokeratin 18 suggested that the resulting cell line exhibited the specific character of epithelial cells. Epithelial cells cultured in the presence of 10% FBS, supraphysiologic concentrations of insulin, and hydrocortisone maintained a normal diploid chromosome modal number of 2n = 60. Furthermore, they were capable of synthesizing β-casein (CSN2), acetyl-CoA carboxylase-α (ACACA) and butyrophilin (BTN1A1). An important finding was that frozen preservation in a mixture of 90% FBS and 10% DMSO did not influence the growth characteristics, chromosome number, or protein secretion of the isolated epithelial cell line.

Conclusions

The obtained mammary epithelial cell line had normal morphology, growth characteristics, cytogenetic and secretory characteristics, thus, it might represent an useful tool for studying the function of Chinese Holstein dairy cows mammary epithelial cell (CMECs).     

Monosialylated biantennary N-glycoforms containing GalNAc-GlcNAc antennae predominate when human EPO is expressed in goat milk

Recently, our group reported the expression of recombinant human erythropoietin in goat milk (rhEPO-milk) as well as in the mammary epithelial cell line GMGE (EPO-GMGE) by cell culture using the adenoviral transduction system. N-Glycosylation characterization of rhEPO-milk by Normal-Phase HPLC profiling of the fluorophore, 4-aminobenzoic acid-labeled enzymatically released N-glycan pool from rhEPO-goat milk, combined with MALDI, ESI-MS and LC/MS, revealed that low branched, core-fucosylated, N-glycans predominate. The labeled N-glycans were separated into neutral and charged fractions by anion exchange chromatography and the charged N-glycans were found to be mostly α2,6-monosialylated with Neu5Ac or Neu5Gc in a ratio of 1:1. Unlike the N-glycans from rhEPO produced in CHO cells, where the glycans are multiantennary highly sialylated, core-fucosylated oligosaccahrides, or even in the goat mammary gland epithelial cell line cultured in vitro in which multiantennary, core- and outer-arm fucosylated, monosialylated N-glycans are the most abundant species, a large proportion of the N-glycans from rhEPO-milk were monosialylated, biantennary, antennae mostly terminating with the more unusual GalNAc-GlcNAc motive and without outer-arm fucosylation. These findings, emphasizing the difference in the N-glycan repertoire between the rhEPO-milk and EPO-GMGE, are consistent with the principle that glycosylation is cell-type dependent and that the cell environment is crucial as well.     

In vitro evaluation of a mammary gland specific expression vector encoding recombinant human lysozyme for development of transgenic dairy goat embryos

A vector expressing human lysozyme (pBC1-hLYZ-GFP-Neo) was evaluated for gene and protein expression following liposome-mediated transformation of C-127 mouse mammary cancer cells. Cultures of G418-resistant clones were harvested 24-72 h after induction with prolactin, insulin and hydrocortisone. Target gene expression was analyzed by RT-PCR and Western blot and recombinant human lysozyme (rhLYZ) bacteriostatic activity was also evaluated. The hLYZ gene was correctly transcribed and translated in C-127 cells and hLYZ inhibited gram-positive bacterial growth, indicating the potential of this expression vector for development of a mammary gland bioreactor in goats. Guanzhong dairy goat skin fibroblasts transfected with pBC1-hLYZ-GFP-Neo were used to construct a goat embryo transgenically expressing rhLYZ by somatic nuclear transplantation with a blastocyst rate of 9.0 ± 2.8 %. These data establish the basis for cultivation of mastitis-resistant hLYZ transgenic goats.