HS-40 enhancer-containing vector

Abstract

The invention relates to a transgenic animal whose somatic and germ line genomic DNA includes at least one copy of a transgene having (1) a transcriptional start site; (2) a promoter operably linked to the transcriptional start site; and (3) an enhancer operably linked to the promoter, the enhancer including the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, where the transgenic animal expresses a transcript driven by the promoter, the level of expression in at least one cell type of the animal being positively correlated with the copy number of the transgene.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A transgenic animal whose somatic and germ line genomic DNA comprises at least one copy of a transgene comprising (1) a transcriptional start site; (2) a promoter operably linked to the transcriptional start site; and (3) an enhancer operably linked to the promoter, the enhancer comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, 
 wherein the transgenic animal expresses a transcript driven by the promoter, the level of expression in at least one cell type of the animal being positively correlated with the copy number of the transgene.    
     
     
         2 . The transgenic animal of  claim 1 , wherein the animal is a rodent.  
     
     
         3 . The transgenic animal of  claim 2 , wherein the rodent is a mouse.  
     
     
         4 . The transgenic animal of  claim 3 , wherein the DNA contains more than 5 copies of the transgene.  
     
     
         5 . The transgenic animal of  claim 4 , wherein the DNA contains more than 15 copies of the transgene.  
     
     
         6 . The transgenic animal of  claim 5 , wherein the promoter drives transcription of a mRNA encoding a polypeptide, the transcription beginning from the transcriptional start site.  
     
     
         7 . The transgenic animal of  claim 6 , wherein the polypeptide is a growth hormone.  
     
     
         8 . The transgenic animal of  claim 7 , wherein the promoter is a ζ-globin promoter, and the at least one cell type is a erythroblast.  
     
     
         9 . The transgenic animal of  claim 3 , wherein the enhancer comprises SEQ ID NO:2.  
     
     
         10 . The transgenic animal of  claim 9 , wherein the enhancer comprises SEQ ID NO:3.  
     
     
         11 . The transgenic animal of  claim 1 , wherein the expression of the transgene is independent of its position in the DNA.  
     
     
         12 . The transgenic animal of  claim 8 , wherein the transgene is expressed in a cell of an adult form of the transgenic animal.  
     
     
         13 . A cell whose genomic DNA comprises at least one copy of a transgene comprising (1) a transcriptional start site; (2) a promoter operably linked to the transcriptional start site; and (3) an enhancer operably linked to the promoter, the enhancer comprising the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:1, 
 wherein the cell expresses a transcript driven by the promoter, the level of expression being positively correlated with the copy number of the transgene.    
     
     
         14 . The cell of  claim 13 , wherein the DNA contains more than 5 copies of the transgene.  
     
     
         15 . The cell of  claim 14 , wherein the DNA contains more than 15 copies of the transgene.  
     
     
         16 . The cell of  claim 13 , wherein the promoter drives transcription of a mRNA encoding a polypeptide, the transcription beginning from the transcriptional start site.  
     
     
         17 . The cell of  claim 16 , wherein the polypeptide is a growth hormone.  
     
     
         18 . The cell of  claim 13 , wherein the promoter is a ζ-globin promoter.  
     
     
         19 . The cell of  claim 13 , wherein the enhancer comprises SEQ ID NO:2.  
     
     
         20 . The cell of  claim 19 , wherein the enhancer comprises SEQ ID NO:3.  
     
     
         21 . The cell of  claim 1 , wherein the expression of the transgene is independent of its position in the DNA.