이종이식에 활용할 α1,3-galactosyltransferase 비활성화 및 Membrane Cofactor Protein 발현 동형접합 형질전환 돼지 개발

Transplantation is considered to be a very useful approach to improve human welfare and to prolong life-span. Heterologous organ transplantation using pig organs which are similar to human beings and easy to make mass-production has known as one of the alternatives. To ensure potential usage of the pig organ for transplantation application, it is essentially required to generate transgenic pig modifying immuno-related genes. Previously, we reported production of heterozygous α 1,3-galactosyltransferase (GalT) knock-out and human membrane cofactor protein (MCP) expressing pig (GalT-MCP/+), which is enforced for suppression of hyperacute and acute immunological rejection. In this study, we reported generation of homozygous pig (GalT-MCP/-MCP) by crossbreeding GalT-MCP/+ pigs. Two female founders gave birth to six of GalT-MCP/-MCP, and seven GalT-MCP/+ pigs. We performed quantitative real-time PCR, western blot, and flow cytometry analyses to confirm GalT and MCP expression. We showed that fibroblasts of the GalT-MCP/-MCP pig do not express GalT and its product Gal antigen, while efficiently express MCP. We also showed no expression of GalT, otherwise expression of MCP at heart, kidney, liver and pancreas of transgenic pig. Taken together, we suggest that the GalT-MCP/-MCP pig is a useful candidate to apply xenotransplantation study.