【Animal modeling】- PERV-env gene cloning and tissue expression profiling in Guangxi Bama miniature pigs

  Objective: To clone part of PERV-env gene of Guangxi Bama miniature pig, and study its expression difference in different tissues.

  Methods: The PERV-env gene was amplified from peripheral blood leukocytes of Bama miniature pigs by RT-PCR, and the homology and genetic evolution were analyzed with some published PERV-env gene sequences at home and abroad. The primers were designed with the amplified PERV-env gene of Guangxi Bama miniature pig as template, and the expression of PERV mRNA in different tissues of Guangxi Bama miniature pig was analyzed by semi-quantitative RT-PCR.

  RESULTS: There were differences in the relative expression levels of PERV mRNA in the nine tissue samples tested. The abundance of PERV mRNA in kidney and peripheral blood lymphocytes was the highest, followed by lung, heart, liver, spleen, thymus, and ovary. The difference was not significant (P>0.05), and the pancreatic PERV mRNA expression was the lowest.

  Conclusion: The potential risk of PERV infection in xenotransplantation of Bama mini-pig islet cells may be lower than other organs, but further research is needed to confirm.