Combination of the somatic cell nuclear transfer method and RNAi technology for the production of a prion gene-knockdown calf using plasmid vectors harboring the U6 or tRNA promoter.

By combining RNAi technology with SCNT method, we attempted to produce transgenic calves with knocked down bPRNP for technological assessments. The respective utilities of type II (tRNA) and type III (hU6) Pol III promoters in mediating plasmid vector-based RNAi for the production of a bPRNP-knockdown calf were compared. Plasmid harboring DNA for siRNA expression was introduced stably into the genome of primary cultured bovine cells. By inserting the transgenic cell into an enucleated bovine egg, SCNT embryos were produced. The ability for SCNT embryos to develop to blastocysts was higher in hU6 based vector groups (44-53%) than in a tRNA group (32%). In all, 30 hU6-embryos and 12 tRNA-embryos were transferred to 11 recipients. Only tRNA-embryos were able to impregnate recipients (6 out of 11 transfers), resulting in four aborted fetuses, one stillbirth, and one live-born calf. The expression of EGFP, a marker, was detected in all six. The bPRNP transcript levels in the nervous tissues (brain, cerebellum, spinal bulb, and spinal cord) from the calf, which was killed 20 days after birth, were reduced to 35% of those of the control calf on average, as determined by qRT-PCR. The PrPC levels, as estimated by western blot were reduced to 86% on average in the nervous tissues. These findings suggest that SCNT technology remains immature, that the tRNA promoter is useful, and that RNAi can significantly reduce PRNP mRNA levels, but insufficient reduction of PrPC levels exists in cattle under these conditions.