中华鳖转基因技术平台的建立及摄食、生长相关基因的研究

As one of the most widely cultured aquatic reptile species in China, the Chinese soft-shelled turtle is considered to be of superior nutritional, economic and scientific value. However, the typical aminiote structure of its egg limits the application of transgene technologies onto soft-shelled turtle, and restricts researches about its gene functions and developmental pattern. In addition, diseases caused by intensive cultivation of soft-shelled turtle, as well as the decline of its genetical characterization decline, also sets obstacles in raising turtle production and economic benefits. Given that, development of high-efficiency gene modification technique, especially ones targeting ingestion- and growth-related genes, will fundamentally change current situation of soft-shelled turtle cultivation of China. In this proposal, we try to establish a novel transgenic Chinese soft-shelled turtle production system by injecting lentiviral vector carrying exogenous genes into subgerminal cavity and embryo blood vessel. Combined with other technologies such as gene over-expression and gene interfering, this system can be valuable to the researches of ghrelin gene, growth hormone gene, as well as other genes essential to turtle’s ingestion and growth. We hope this system can drive the study of Chinese soft-shelled turtle into molecular level. And become the technology base for producing transgenic turtle individuals with desirable characteristics.

中华鳖是我国广泛养殖的一种水生爬行动物，极具营养价值、经济价值以及科研价值。中华鳖具有典型的羊膜卵结构，这限制了传统的转基因技术在对中华鳖基因功能、发育特点研究中的应用。而国内集约化养殖模式易引发疾病，加之国内中华鳖种质退化，极大的限制了中华鳖养殖业经济效益的进一步提高。因此，开发高效的中华鳖基因修饰技术，对中华鳖基因功能，特别是对摄食、生长相关基因功能进行深入研究，必将从根本上改变国内中华鳖养殖疲软的现状。本研究拟通过胚盘注射或胚胎期血管注射携带有外源基因的慢病毒载体的方式，优化并建立制备转基因中华鳖的技术平台。并以此为工具，通过基因过表达、基因干扰等方法，深入研究以ghrelin基因、生长激素基因为代表的摄食、生长相关基因，将对中华鳖的研究带入到分子水平。并以此为基础为日后筛选获得具有优良生长性状的转基因中华鳖品系奠定理论和技术基础。