Transgenes under control of the WAP gene promoter


Purpose
The genes encoding the whey acidic protein (WAP) from mouse (Campbell et al., 1984), rat (Campbell et al., 1984) and rabbit (Thepot et al., 1990) have been isolated and its promoters have been used to target the expression of transgenes to mammary tissue of transgenic animals (selected articles and reviews). Sequences can be extracted from Genbank. This page will describe and analyze different transgenes which have been investigated. Unpublished data will be marked as such. E-mail links to individual investigators have been generated. Information about WAP based expression vectors and hybridiztion probes can be found under WAP tools.
Three conceptually different types of hybrid genes have been tested in transgenic animals.

Fusion of a WAP gene promoter to the body of a target gene

The mouse (mWAP), rat (rWAP) and rabbit (raWAP) gene promoters have been used successfully to target the expression of hybrid genes to mammary tissue of transgenic animals
(references). Expression of the following transgenes (in historical order) in mice has been published.

WAP gene promoter sequences
Transgenes 1-4 and 8 contain a 2.4 kb EcoRI - Asp718 mouse WAP gene promoter fragment. Asp718 cuts immediately 5' of the ATG within the first exon of the WAP gene.


Introduction of a target gene into the 1st exon of the WAP gene

The following cDNAs and genomic sequences have been inserted into the Asp718 (KpnI) site of the mouse (mWAP) gene
(references).
  1. mWAP-human proteinC (cDNA) [Velander et al., 1992]
  2. mWAP-human TGFb1 (cDNA) [Jhappan et al., 1993]
  3. mWAP-human myc (genomic)
  4. mWAP-human TGFa (cDNA) [Sandgren et al., 1995]
  5. mWAP-human glucocerebrosidase [genomic, unpublished]
  6. mWAP-human u-PA [genomic, not published]


Introduction of a target gene between exon 1 and 3 of the WAP gene

The following cDNAs have been inserted between the Asp718 and SalI (exon 3) sites of the mouse (mWAP) gene
(references).
  1. mWAP-ECSOD
  2. mWAP-stromelysin 1 [Sympson et al., 1994]
  3. mWAP-IGF1 [Neuenschwander et al., 1996]
  4. mWAP-stromelysin 3 [unpublished]



This information has been contributed by Lothar Hennighausen.

For additional information contact
Lothar Hennighausen (e-mail: mammary@nih.gov)
last update: March 11, 1996


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