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Site-directed integration of transgenes: transposons revisited using DNA-binding-domain technologies

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Abstract

In the last 20 years, tools derived from DNA transposons have made major contributions to genetic studies from gene delivery to gene discovery. Various complementary and fairly ubiquitous DNA vehicles have been developed. Although many transposons are efficient DNA vehicles, they appear to have limited ability to target specific sequences, since all that is required at the integration locus is the presence of a short 2- to 4-bp sequence. Consequently, insertions mediated by transposon-based vectors occur somewhat randomly. In the past 5 years, strategies have emerged to enhance the site-specificity of transposon-based vectors, and to avoid random integrations. The first proposes that new target site specificity could be grafted onto a transposase by adding a new DNA-binding domain. Alternative strategies consist of indirectly targeting either the transposase or the transposon to a chosen genomic locus. The most important information available about each strategy are presented, and limitations and future prospects are discussed.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the University of François Rabelais of Tours, the C.N.R.S., the French Ministère de l’Education Nationale, de la Recherche et de la Technologie (MENRT) and funded by grants from the European Commission (Project SyntheGeneDelivery, No. 018716), and the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR POGM 05-003). The English text has been revised by Dr M. Ghosh.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Université François Rabelais de Tours, GICC, 37200, Tours, France

    Marie-Véronique Demattei, Xavier Thomas, Corinne Augé-Gouillou & Sylvaine Renault

  2. CNRS, UMR 6239, 37200, Tours, France

    Marie-Véronique Demattei, Xavier Thomas, Elodie Carnus, Corinne Augé-Gouillou & Sylvaine Renault

  3. CHRU de Tours, UFR des Sciences & Techniques, Parc de Grandmont, 37200, Tours, France

    Elodie Carnus

  4. Université François Rabelais, UFR des Sciences & Techniques, Parc de Grandmont, 37200, Tours, France

    Elodie Carnus

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  1. Marie-Véronique Demattei
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Correspondence to Sylvaine Renault.

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Demattei, MV., Thomas, X., Carnus, E. et al. Site-directed integration of transgenes: transposons revisited using DNA-binding-domain technologies. Genetica 138, 531–540 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10709-009-9390-y

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