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Stable expression of human growth hormone over 50 generations in transgenic insect larvae

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Abstract

Developments in insect transgenesis using transposons combined with available mass rearing technology for insects such as the Medfly, Ceratitis capitata, provide opportunity for the production of protein for industrial, agricultural and healthcare purposes on a very large scale. In this study, we report the germ-line transformation and expression of a cDNA encoding human growth hormone (hGH) in transgenic Drosophila using the Minos transposon. Production and secretion of a bioactive hGH into the haemolymph of transgenic larvae was demonstrated by immunoblot analysis, ELISA and a proliferation bioassay. Stable expression of hGH was observed over 50 generations. The results indicate that mass reared transgenic diptera with a rapid period of larval growth could provide cost effective production systems for the manufacture of therapeutic and other high value proteins.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Katerina Saridaki for generous help with the hGH ELISA assays. This work was supported by a PRAXE grant of the Greek Secretariat General for Research and Technology to IMBB-FoRTH and Minos Biosystems Ltd.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Foundation for Research and Technology Hellas, PO Box 1385, Heraklion, 71110, Greece

    Maria Markaki, Ioannis Livadaras & Charalambos Savakis

  2. Department of Cell Biology, Erasmus MC, PO Box 1738, 3000DR, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Dubravka Drabek & Frank Grosveld

  3. Minos BioSystems Ltd, Jubilee House Farm, Sandbach, CW11 2XB, UK

    Roger K. Craig

  4. Division of Medical Sciences, Medical School, University of Crete, Heraklion, Crete, Greece

    Charalambos Savakis

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  1. Maria Markaki
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  2. Dubravka Drabek
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  3. Ioannis Livadaras
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  4. Roger K. Craig
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  5. Frank Grosveld
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  6. Charalambos Savakis
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Correspondence to Charalambos Savakis.

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Markaki, M., Drabek, D., Livadaras, I. et al. Stable expression of human growth hormone over 50 generations in transgenic insect larvae. Transgenic Res 16, 99–107 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11248-006-9032-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11248-006-9032-4

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