Volume 31, Issue 4 e12881
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Production of Four-Gene (GTKO/hCD55/hTBM/hCD39)-Edited Donor Pigs and Kidney Xenotransplantation

Chang Yang

Chang Yang

Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Yunnan Province Xenotransplantation Research Engineering Center, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

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Yunfang Wei

Yunfang Wei

Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Yunnan Province Xenotransplantation Research Engineering Center, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

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Xinglong Li

Xinglong Li

Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Yunnan Province Xenotransplantation Research Engineering Center, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

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Kaixiang Xu

Kaixiang Xu

Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Yunnan Province Xenotransplantation Research Engineering Center, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

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Xiaoying Huo

Xiaoying Huo

Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Yunnan Province Xenotransplantation Research Engineering Center, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

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Gang Chen

Gang Chen

Institute of Organ Transplantation, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China

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Heng Zhao

Heng Zhao

Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Yunnan Province Xenotransplantation Research Engineering Center, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

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Jiaoxiang Wang

Jiaoxiang Wang

Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Yunnan Province Xenotransplantation Research Engineering Center, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

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Taiyun Wei

Taiyun Wei

Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Yunnan Province Xenotransplantation Research Engineering Center, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

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Yubo Qing

Yubo Qing

Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Yunnan Province Xenotransplantation Research Engineering Center, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

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Jianxiong Guo

Jianxiong Guo

Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Yunnan Province Xenotransplantation Research Engineering Center, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

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Hongfang Zhao

Hongfang Zhao

Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Yunnan Province Xenotransplantation Research Engineering Center, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

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Xiong Zhang

Xiong Zhang

Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Yunnan Province Xenotransplantation Research Engineering Center, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Faculty of Animal Science and Technology, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

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Deling Jiao

Deling Jiao

Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Yunnan Province Xenotransplantation Research Engineering Center, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

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Zhe Xiong

Zhe Xiong

Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Yunnan Province Xenotransplantation Research Engineering Center, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

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Muhammad Ameen Jamal

Muhammad Ameen Jamal

Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Yunnan Province Xenotransplantation Research Engineering Center, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

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Hong-Ye Zhao

Corresponding Author

Hong-Ye Zhao

Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Yunnan Province Xenotransplantation Research Engineering Center, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Correspondence: Hong-Ye Zhao ([email protected]) | Hong-Jiang Wei ([email protected])

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Hong-Jiang Wei

Corresponding Author

Hong-Jiang Wei

Yunnan Province Key Laboratory for Porcine Gene Editing and Xenotransplantation, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Yunnan Province Xenotransplantation Research Engineering Center, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

College of Veterinary Medicine, Yunnan Agricultural University, Kunming, China

Correspondence: Hong-Ye Zhao ([email protected]) | Hong-Jiang Wei ([email protected])

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First published: 26 August 2024
Citations: 3

Chang Yang, Yunfang Wei, and Xinglong Li are first co-authors.

Funding: This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China (Grant No. 2019YFA0110700) and the Major Science and Technology Project of Yunnan Province (Grant No. 202102AA310047).

ABSTRACT

Background

The number of multigene-modified donor pigs for xenotransplantation is increasing with the advent of gene-editing technologies. However, it remains unclear which gene combination is suitable for specific organ transplantation.

Methods

In this study, we utilized CRISPR/Cas9 gene editing technology, piggyBac transposon system, and somatic cell cloning to construct GTKO/hCD55/hTBM/hCD39 four-gene-edited cloned (GEC) pigs and performed kidney transplantation from pig to rhesus monkey to evaluate the effectiveness of these GEC pigs.

Results

First, 107 cell colonies were obtained through drug selection, of which seven were 4-GE colonies. Two colonies were selected for somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT), resulting in seven fetuses, of which four were GGTA1 biallelic knockout. Out of these four, two fetuses had higher expression of hCD55, hTBM, and hCD39. Therefore, these two fetuses were selected for two consecutive rounds of cloning, resulting in 97 live piglets. After phenotype identification, the GGTA1 gene of these pigs was inactivated, and hCD55, hTBM, and hCD39 were expressed in cells and multiple tissues. Furthermore, the numbers of monkey IgM and IgG binding to the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of the 4-GEC pigs were markedly reduced. Moreover, 4-GEC porcine PBMCs had greater survival rates than those from wild-type pigs through complement-mediated cytolysis assays. In pig-to-monkey kidney xenotransplantation, the kidney xenograft successfully survived for 11 days. All physiological and biochemical indicators were normal, and no hyperacute rejection or coagulation abnormalities were found after transplantation.

Conclusion

These results indicate that the GTKO/hCD55/hTBM/hCD39 four-gene modification effectively alleviates immune rejection, and the pig kidney can functionally support the recipient monkey's life.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Data Availability Statement

The dataset supporting the conclusions of this article is included within the article and its additional file.

The full text of this article hosted at iucr.org is unavailable due to technical difficulties.